The Complications
by Gidi808
Summary: This has no Hunger Games in it. What happens if Katniss was with Gale? What if Peeta loved her too? What happens when Katniss's mother brings back a replacement? Some OC (Blade and Quinn). Fluff at the start but then more serious, my first story, told in many POV's. Bad summary and it has more in the story but Please Read and Review! Rated M for language and smut!
1. Chapter 1

Hunger games FanFiction –The Complications

**I DON T OWN ANYTHING! (wish i did thought)**

Chapter 1

**Katniss POV**

We were walking to school in district twelve, Gale grasping my hand and carelessly swinging it between us. Gale and I have been dating for about 4 months. I remember every second I have spent with him and I remember every word the day when he told me he loved me:

(4 months ago)

_I was hunting on a Sunday as usual, I pulled back my bow as I aimed for a small rabbit, I let go and the arrow embedded itself in the rabbit's eye. I walked over to my kill and inspected it, pulling the arrow from my catch._

'_Nice shot Catnip' a familiar voice said behind me._

_I whipped around, notching my arrow as I did, aiming at the owner of the voice. Not until I realised it was Gale did I relaxed. He was the only one that could sneak up behind me without me realising. Gale is a least a foot and half taller than me, he has steel grey eyes and dark brown hair, exactly like me. He was lean and built for strength, his muscles rippling underneath his shirt as he walked closer to me._

'_Hey Gale' I said as I came out of my thoughts._

'_Hey Catnip, I got a huge stag and I need you to help me carry it back plus and a few rabbits, want that now for lunch?' he said pointing towards my rabbit._

_I have about the same amount of game as Gale (apart from the dear) and decide that one rabbit couldn't hurt._

'_Sure' _

_We walked to towards our rock which looked over the valley and more of our woods; I sat down as Gale set up a fire and put the rabbit on the spit, cooking from the hot coals underneath. We sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes._

'_ya know, I don't understand why we can't come out here, I can't believe the Capitol even has the nerve to-'that's where I tune out from Gales 'anti-Capitol' rants, not that I don't care or I don't agree with him, every single person in the capitol are rich bastards stuffing their faces while people in other districts starve and do the work for the Capitol almost like we're their slaves ,but I have some more important priorities, like feeding and looking after Prim so she doesn't waste away. My father died in a mine accident, so did Gale's but after it happened my mother ran off, unable to face the accident. I always hated her for that, for abandoning me and Prim to face death from starving, luckily my father taught me how to hunt when I was a child._

_I watched Gale's perfectly sculpted lips cussing about how they are 'such fucking assholes, who need a servant to all their work 'cause they are too lazy to get off their huge asses!' sometimes I can't stand his shit about the capitol, as our fathers died in the mines because the capitol needed the coal. _

_I looked into Gale's steel grey eyes as I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. I'm sixteen, so is he, but I've never kissed anyone before. His lips are soft and gentle against mine but aren't moving, I guessed he was in shock. His realised what was happening and in no time his sweet lips were moving against mine, slowly and softly, nothing is rushed._

_Only when I pulled away after those sweet ten seconds did I realise what I had done. I quickly scrambled up and turned to run, I got a few steps into the forest when I was grabbed by the arm, forced to stop. I turn around; he's studying me, looking for something. We stand there for a moment, my thoughts were racing, what did I do? Was this going to ruin our friendship? I didn't know what I'd do without him, he was my only friend. My best friend. I couldn't lose him, I couldn't live without him. I don't know where this surge of longing and protectiveness came from but I couldn't leave._

'_I-I'm sorry' I whispered not standing the silence._

'_Katniss' he was using my full name, I know he was being serious, 'you have no idea how long I have been waiting for that' he said, his voice full of emotion._

'_What are talking about?' what does he mean he been waiting for that?_

'_Katniss, I'm in love you, I have been for years' _

_I just looked at him, I was speechless, too many thoughts started racing through my mind. What does he mean he been waiting? When did he start loving me? Why didn't I notice? Am I really that ignorant? I never wanted to have a boyfriend, get married, have kids, nothing and Gale knew this. The way I saw it whenever you loved something or someone, it gets taken away from you, Prim was the only exception for me._

'_Why didn't you tell me?' was all I could manage._

'_What would you have said?' he looked at me, I was silent guessing that this may be a rhetorical question, 'you would've pushed me away and ignored me'_

'_No I wouldn't!' I went into offensive._

_He looked at me and I lost myself in those beautiful steel grey eyes…..wait what? Why and I thinking like this? I promised myself that I wouldn't do this, not love anyone, apart my little sister._

_I puffed out my cheeks, exhaling, 'yea, fine I would' I admitted._

'_Of course, Catnip, you know I'm always right' he said with a slight grin on his face, his eyes twinkling once again._

'_I still don't know Gale…' I was unsure where to go with this now._

_My eyes bug out of their sockets when he sinks down onto one knee. Wait, what?! We're too young to be married! He knows I don't want this!_

'_Katniss', I shivered when he said my name, it sounded beautiful coming from his lips, 'you're beautiful, smart, sexy, talented' he was looking up at me, I blushed from his words, 'and I love it when you blush, Katniss, I'm in love with you, will you be my girlfriend?' _

_I hesitated, what was I meant to say? Did I want this? He felt my hesitation and looked down at his feet, I studied him. Yes, I do want this. _

'_Yes' I said barely audible, his head snapped up._

'_What?'_

'_Yes, I will be your girlfriend' I said louder._

_A grin broke out onto his face; he stood up, moving closer to me, only an inch between his sweet lips and mine. To my complete and utter joy he pressed our foreheads together, giving me enough time and space to back away, but I raised up to meet him. Our lips connected and I was in another world, where only Gale and I existed. The kiss was soft and loving; we took our time in no rush to go anywhere. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he slid his around my waist, both of us deepening the kiss. After a few minutes he pulled away and looked at me, I was pouting. He chuckled and then grinned, so did I, I couldn't control it._

'Katniss….Katniss?' I was pulled from my memory by the sweet voice of my boyfriend.

'Sorry what did you say?' I said a little dazed.

'Where did you go just now?'

'I was us thinking about…about the day you told me you loved me' I said a little shyly, no doubt I was blushing.

He didn't say anything, just chuckled and wore a grin that went from ear to ear. Watching Gale smile happily I knew in this moment that I really do love him with all my heart and I always had in one way or another. I then realized I was in the halls of our school, Gale pulled a few strings (I have no idea what 'strings' he pulled) and now we were in all the same classes together.

We walk to English holding hands, and sat down next to each other. Mrs Carmen stood at the front of the class and just kept talking about the significance Shakespeare; I leaned my head on my hand and closed my eyes.

I froze when I felt a warm familiar hand on my thigh, slowly making its way up to where I want it most making it tingle with lust and pleasure, I supressed a moan.

'_Gale!_' I hissed, he just grinned and supressed a chuckle of his own but his hand kept travailing further up.

Even in 4 months Gale and I have only ever gotten down to underwear and touching, I know he wants me as much as I want him but I told him I'm not ready yet, which is true I don't want to risk having children either. Of course Gale argued against this saying that they will be careful, I know we will, but I more scared than anything (not that I would admit it).

His hand was lightly caressing my inner-thigh, l want him so badly but I know I'm too stubborn for my own good. His thumb stroked the notch of my pants and I coughed trying to disguise a moan. Lucky for me that we were at the back of the class and Mrs Carmen was too busy talking to suspect anything.

When Gale was about to go for a second round I grabbed his hand to stop it. He raised his eyebrows at me and I just shook my head, he pouted and I stifled a laugh.

English dragged on for what seemed like forever, to my relief to bell went. Now Gale and I had a free period. We walked out of class to my locker to put my books away in a comfortable silence; he looked like he was trying to decide something.

'What are you thinking about?' pulling him out of his thoughts.

'Oh nothing, C'mon follow me' he instructed pulling me along as I raised my eyebrows.

We were walking to Gale's unknown destination when I thought about what happened in English class.

'What was that little stunt you pulled before' I asked slightly angry.

'You looked tired and bored so I decided to wake you up' if only I could slap that grin of is face….

He must have known what I was thinking because he just chuckled and kept walking. Curiosity got the best of me 'Where are we going?'

'Right here' we stopped in front of the old groundskeepers shed, just on the edge of campus, 'I thought we could have a rerun of English, only there nothing holding us back now.'

I nodded, as much as I am stubborn and proud, I'm almost seventeen and sometimes the hormones get the better of me. We entered the shed, it was quite clean to my surprise, and everything was neatly put away, where they were supposed to go.

Gale led over to the bench and turned around to melt me with those steel grey eyes. I felt a spark of anticipation; Gale was not the one to disappoint. He put his hands around my waste and I encircled mine around his neck, playing with the hair on the back of his neck, twirling and twisting it around my fingers.

'I love you, Katniss' he whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck, and then he pulled me in, kissing me passionately. I melt into the kiss. I feel his tongue licking my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I happily oblige and open my mouth a little wider, he slides his tongue in and I meet him with my own.

As our tongues are fighting for dominance, Gales hitches my legs and I wrap then around his waist as he sat me on the bench so there was less of a height difference.

'I know' I breathed between the kissing, he knew I was teasing

'Say it' he demanded huskily but in a teasing voice.

'Say what?' I was trying to act innocent but he saw right through me.

'Tell me you love me' he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.

'Well, I guess your kinda nice and good looking' I felt him smile against my neck, kissing it.

'Say it' he repeated

'I' I kissed his neck 'love' I kissed the underside of his jaw 'you, Gale Hawthorne, the one and only' then I pulled his face from my neck and planted a fierce and passionate kiss on his soft lips.

I felt the bulge growing in his pants as a result of the friction and tension between our passionate kissing. I shyly ran put hand down from Gale's shoulders, over his soft chiselled chest feeling his muscles ripple under his shirt as he kissed me and down to the notch of his pants and rubbed small circles, I felt Gale getting harder underneath my fingers. He pulled from our kiss and put his head on my shoulder as continued my actions.

'Holy fuck Katniss' he groaned. It made me feel good knowing that I could make Gale feel like this, I had complete control over him at this moment. I rubbed faster, earning louder and more frequent moans from Gale. I pull him from my shoulder into a hot passionate kiss, trying to muffle his moans. He grabbed my hand and stilled me.

'I'm gonna cum if you keep that up' I pouted.

'later, when we get home' he said and chuckled at my expression and as if right on cue the bell went signalling that it was lunch. I looked down at Gale and started laughing hysterically.

'Why are you laughing?' I laughed even harder at his confused face.

'How are you going to walk out when you're like that' I managed between the giggles that are slowly dying but pointing at his crouch which was still hard from our previous events. He blushes a deep red.

'I can take care of myself' he answered, I was still grinning.

I hoped off the bench and walked out of the shed to let Gale to 'take care of himself'. I walk into the cafeteria and grab some food for both me and Gale. A few minutes later Gale walks in, still grinning but the bulge has disappeared. He sits down next to me and the few of our friends.

On our table is Madge Undersee who is the mayor's daughter who one of my best friends, she has the merchant trades: blonde hair and blue eyes. Quinn is loud, funny and obnoxious. Finnick and Annie moved here from district four, they are dating as well.

Then there was Peeta, the boy with the bread, the boy who saved my life when I was young, before I met Gale. Peeta and Gale are friends but that's as far as it goes, Gale has a protective nature, especially when it comes to me. Peeta is the kindest and most friendly person I've ever met, we talk a lot have most of our classes are together (with Gale). The rest of the day was long and boring; I was just looking forward to this afternoon with Gale.

After school finished we put away our books and Gale and I walk hand in hand to go pick up Rory, one of Gale's younger siblings and Prim. We got to the gate and waited for a bit.

'Katniss!' Prim ran and hugged me, Rory trailed behind her.

'Hey Prim, Rory' I said releasing Prim, she was 12 years old and almost thirteen, so was Rory but she was growing up so fast.

'Hi Katniss' he replied

'I fell so left out' Gale faked being hurt but Prim being the good person that she is walked over to him and gave him a hug and a 'hi'.

We let them walk ahead as we trailed behind in a comfortable silence.

'So, your house or mine?' Gale said breaking the silence.

I grinned 'Prim hasn't seen Posy in a while so she could go to your house and you can come to mine' he nodded and grinned back at me.

'Hey Prim!' I yelled.

'Yeh?' she yelled back.

'Do you want to stay over at Rory's house tonight? You haven't seen Posy in a while and we don't have school tomorrow' I asked

'umm, yeah sure'

'Great be home tomorrow before dinner' I instructed.

'What about you guys?' she questioned

'We're just going to hang out at home; ya know talk and stuff….and Gale's probably going to stay over ' Gale just smiled and shook his head.

Prim hugged me good-bye 'Be careful, Katniss' she whispered in my ear, I froze did my 12 year-old sister just say what I think she said?

'See ya later!' then she walked back to Rory and they were out of sight.

'Catnip, you okay?' I snapped back to reality, how long had I been standing there? I must've looked like an idiot. Gale looked concerned though.

'Yeah, yeah I'm good, let's go' I managed to mustered up a convincing smile.

We walked back to my shabby house in the seam, filling in the time by talking about school and other random subjects. It took about 10 minutes to get back to my house; it was a small old shake in the middle of the seam. We walked in and I shut the door. Then I was attacked.

**ohhhh, who do you think attacked her? Please review and leave any ideas or suggestions u want to see in the story! the next chaper will be up in 4-6 days, thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hunger games FanFiction- The Complications

**AN: hey guys! Thanks so everyone that reviewed in my last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one just as much! ** **THIS IS RATED M FOR MATURE CONTENT AND LANUAGE, don't say I didn't warn you ;) **

**Btw last chapter I forgot to include but THANKS SO MUCH TO MY BETA FRENCHIE121! She's a good friend of mine and if you like any of the avenger story then you should check out the ones she has written, they are EPIC, anyway back to the Fanfic, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!**

Chapter 2

**Katniss POV **

I was pushed up against the door, not hard but firm. I was pinned against the oak with one large hand on either side of my head; I look up to see a large smirk. Gale leaned in and kissed me while he snaked his arms around my waist, pressing me hard to against his body, his moving against mine. I put my hands around his neck, deepening the kiss. He ran his hands down my spine, making me shiver with pleasure, they find their way down to my butt giving it a gentle squeeze but they rest on the back of my thighs. He hitched my legs up to his waist as I encircled them around him, moulding our bodies together. He pulled me higher to him and pushing me against the door for support.

I moaned as Gale moved to my neck planting wet, hot, open mouthed kiss against my skin. I grinded against him, earning a groan. We went on like this for a few minutes, kissing, grinding and moaning.

'Your room?' he whispered in my ear and then he went back down to my neck kissing the sensitive part between my neck and collarbone, I moaned loudly and I could feel Gale smiling.

I thought for a second, 'You're going to have to catch me first' I whispered in his ear and then playfully biting on it playfully. Then I hopped down from him and made a dash for the kitchen, Gale stood there for a spilt second and then a breathtaking grin lit up his face as he chased me. I got to the kitchen and stood on one side of the dining table; Gale caught up and stood on the opposite side. We were both puffing, Gale was stronger than me but I was faster.

'I'm gonna get ya Catnip' he grinned.

'Not any time soon' I remark. I don't know why I decided to turn this into a fun little game, maybe it was the nerves? Or it might be the hunter and the prey kinda thing?

While he was distracted in our little conversation I faked running to left and he tried to go for me but I sidestep and ran to the right. I run down the hallway with Gale barrelling behind me but no so unfortunately he caught up to me, grabs me by the waist and swings me around. I'm giggling hysterically and he's laughing, he throws me over his shoulder and walks to my room then dumps me on the bed still in a fit of giggles. He lies on me leaning on his elbows and ones of his legs between mine.

His kisses me, gentle sucking on my lower lip, I open my mouth a little wider and he slides his tongue in and I meet him with mine. The kiss becomes intense, we break apart to catch our breath, we're both panting and he is blowing his sweet scent over me. Gale smells like the woods, or just before a storm when you can smell the rain, he smells sweet but most of all he smells like home and he's all mine.

'Ya know, I think the shirt needs to come off' I said leaning up and kissing the underside of his jaw while playing with the hem of his t-shirt, he chuckled but he slowly peeled it off, giving a wonderful view but teasing me while he did. His muscles danced whenever he moves and it makes me tingle, it makes me want more.

I pull him back to my mouth feeling like he'd been too far away from it. In one swift move I hooked my leg around his and flip us, so that I'm on top of him. I can feel his member starting to become hard against my leg, I rubbed his erection and he instantly became rock hard underneath me.

'Fuck Katnisssssss' he groaned 'are you trying to kill me?'

'Nope,' I made my way down to his neck, 'just getting you hard' my breath on his neck making him shiver. He loved it when I talked to him like that and I love it when he does it to me too. Just from my words Gale got harder (if that was even possible), he was pressed up against my leg. This time Gale flipped me.

'Ya know, I think that the shirt and pants need to come off' He said, mimicking me from before but I sat up and started unbuttoning my shirt slowly, I looked into Gale's eyes and I knew this was it. I knew I was ready. I wanted him and he wanted me, it was as simple as that. I took my time taking off my shirt and pants. Teasing him was more fun than I thought but I know he likes it. I took my hair out of its trademark braid and let it fall around my shoulders and back. I stood for a moment and he just stared at me, I decided to seize the moment. I reached behind my back to unclasp my bra but he stopped me; 'let me' he whispered, pulling down each shoulder strap down slowly, his delicate touches made my hair stand up. He reached behind my back and unhooked the bra, my breasts springing free and he threw it on the ground. Gale's eyes looked at me and I see his pants were past being uncomfortable for him.

He pulls me back onto the bed with him and I straddled him again, my breasts bouncing near his face. I could tell it was taking every ounce of strength he had not to keep staring at them like an idiot.

I leaned into his ear, 'I'm ready Gale, I want you' I unwrapped one of his hands from my waist and laying it over my left breast. He snapped out of his thoughts and gently squeezed and I threw my head back, arching at his touch, then he got more curious and rolled my nipple between his fingers and I let out a loud moan. He started explore my body, sucking, nibbling and touching every inch of my exposed skin.

He sat up and turned up around, leaning me back gently onto the bed so he was on top of me, holding himself up on is elbows but our hip connected. He kissed me on the lips but then pulled away and made a trial from my lips, to my neck, between my breasts where I thought he would stop but he kept going until he got to the waistband of my panties.

He looked up at me for my permission and I shyly nodded. He slowly pulled them down and off my legs, kissing my legs on the way down. Not until he slipped them off did I realised how wet I was, moisture building between my legs from the pleasure he was bringing me. When Gale reaches to undo his pants I stop him.

'Let me do it' I said.

I unbuckled his belt and undo his pants, I slipped them off and he stepped out of them. His hardness is larger than I've ever seen it before. I don't know why I have so much confidence at the moment but I hooked my fingers around the waistband of his underpants and pull them to the floor. Excuse me but where the fuck was that meant to go? I doubt it will even fit.

Pressing our hips together, he crushed our lips together kissing me with every bit of emotion he had, not breaking our kiss he slipped one long finger in me, thrusting them in and out while rubbing my clit with his thumb. I moan loudly and uncontrollably, he kept one large hand on my abdomen to keep me from bucking and squirming. After a few more thrusts he added another finger but this time harder and faster. I felt a wave of pleasure coming over me that was more like a tsunami, I all but screamed when I reached my climax. Gale let me come down from my high, pulling out his fingers and sucked my juices from them.

'That was amazing' I said still breathing hard.

'Huh, we haven't even gotten to amazing yet' he said sexily and seductively. He looked into my eyes but only after he found whatever he wanted in them, he spoke.

'You're sure?' he asked.

'I don't think that…' his face fell, 'I've ever been more sure about something in my life' I said, he looked back down at me, wearing the sexiest grin I've ever seen. He positioned himself over my entrance and slowly pushed in. It was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced in my life. I buried my face in his chest and stifled a sob. He stayed still waiting for me to tell him I'm ok, at least that what I think he's doing.

'I'm sorry, we could stop if you wanted, I haven't gone all in yet' he whispered in my ear and I just shock my head. I looked down, how the fuck could he not be all the way in yet? I'm guessing there was only about an inch or two in there.

A few minutes later the pain slowly ebbed away so I pulled away from his shoulder and nodded. He kissed the tears from my eyes and pushed the rest of himself in with a loud groan. The pain turned into eminence pleasure, I gasped hooking my legs around his waist and another wave of pleasure came over me. He started thrusting gently and slowly but I wanted him to go faster, harder.

'Holy shit Katniss, your so fucking tight' he groaned in my shoulder, nibbling the sensitive part between my neck and my shoulder.

'Uh Gale…harder' I moaned after a couple of minutes.

He did what I asked, thrusting faster and harder, pounding into me. I was in ecstasy; I couldn't stop the noises coming from my mouth even if I wanted to. So close to the edge that he was pushing me off, I came in a matter of seconds for a second time.

'Gaaaaale!' I screamed

Gale came not long after that, filling me and shouting my name as well. He collapsed on top of me but holding his weight on his arms. Then we lay on our side looking at each other.

'That was definitely the amazing part' I said still panting but breaking the short silence, he let out a breathless chuckle.

'Glad you enjoyed it' I smiled. I was savouring every second of this. My eyes started to droop and I fell asleep quickly, I was so spent. I woke up a little while later, Gale was just looking at me and I smiled up at him.

'Have a good sleep?' he asked.

'Like a log' I said and he smiled at me.

'Did you sleep at all?' I asked.  
'Yeah, a while but I like watching you sleep, you look so peaceful' I just smiled at his comment.

'What a coincidence, I like watching you sleep too' I said and he returned my smile. I lay there for a bit longer. I was thinking about life, about us. Then a thought hit me and I bolted upright from under the covers.

'Shit! Oh my god, fuck me!' I whispered.

Gale sat up with me, alarmed, 'I did' he smirked at his smartass comment that he stole from me, 'but what's wrong?' and apparently confused.

'We…we didn't use any protection...ugh so fucking stupid!' this is exactly what I didn't want to happen. Gale just smiles at me and I hit his arm.

'This isn't funny! I don't want to get pregnant!' I choose my words wisely because even though i don't want children I know that he does, Gale having three younger siblings makes him a natural with kids. But who wouldn't want a Mini-Gale running around? Someone he could teach to hunt, set snares, and pass down his knowledge too. I pushed the thought away from my mind, this is not a world or place to bring up a child, scraping for food and in fear that any day they may starve to death.

'It's ok I'll talk to my mother about birth control, how bad would it be to have a kid of our own anyway?' it was like he could read my mind, if anything hunting taught us it was how to read each-other and I was an open-book.

'But we're only seventeen! And do you really want your mother to know about what we've been doing? Knowing Hazelle she'd probably smack you upside the head' I smiled when I said this, remembering all the times that Hazelle has smacked Gale upside the head, mainly for his smartass comments.

Gale chuckled, 'Yeah I guess she would, what about Greasy Sae?'

'Ok but don't tell her anything about what happens between us; just get the pills' I commanded him.

'Yes mam!' he saluted, I chuckled giving him a soft kiss.

We lay for a short while, with my head on his chest and playing with my hair, its midmorning on a Saturday so I know we have to get up soon. I think back to last night, out of my list of '10 favourite moments in my life' that would rank #1. I loved the way he made me feel, the way my body reacted to his and the way he made me fall so in love with him.

I sighed 'I guess we're going to have to get up…'

'Hmmm I don't want to' he complained.

'It's already midmorning, how about we go to the meadow?' I look up at him to see him staring at me lovingly.

I was starting to feel self-conscious, 'What? Is there something on my face?'

He chuckled, 'No, no there is nothing on your face, I just…I just wish I could freeze this moment and live in it forever; with you and me together like this' even someone as ignorant as me can detect the love in his voice and it melted my heart.

'You mean naked?' I said making a joke of it.

'It couldn't hurt' he grinned, 'Come on lets go to the Hob to get the pills and then lets head to the meadow'

He got up, stretching and also giving a wonderful view. I knew that Gale was muscular but I don't know how I never got distracted by it, the plains of his abs, the muscles in his legs and his wonderfully chiselled butt. He chuckled when he caught me staring and biting my lip not that I noticed I was.

'Like what you see?' he strikes a couple of poses, showing of all his impressive muscles.

I laughed, 'very much so' I admitted.

I got up as well, picking up my clothes from the floor and catching Gale staring at me this time, I chuckled. To his disappointment we got dressed and started walking towards the Hob, the local shops that are only know to the people of the Seam. We walked down the familiar alleyway and slipped into the door making sure that no Peacekeepers see us. Peacekeepers were the law-enforcement in district twelve, there was Cray who was the head peacekeeper, Gale and I sold him rabbits and turkeys in exchange for letting us outside the fence. Then there was Darius and Romulus, Darius was mid-twenties with brown hair and grey eyes, a trademark from the seam, you would always find Darius in the Hob usually eating a bowl of Greasy Sae's hot soup. Romulus was the one to be wary of, if he found either Gale or I outside the fence or poaching we would be publicly whipped or hung to make an example of us.

I walked around the Hob looking at the things that are on sale; I went into the clothes section and looked at the clothes for teenagers, not for myself but for Prim because it was her birthday in a few weeks. All the clothes in the Hob are second hand, some are dirty and others are just faded with age. I decided that I will save as much as I can to buy a dress from town for her.

I meet back up with Gale and he hands me a few pack of pills and some soup for breakfast.

'How did it go?' I questioned, honestly curious.

He looked down and smiled, 'Yeah, it was okay' I raised my eyebrows but he just shook his head. I got a pill out and swallowed it down along with the soup. We started off towards the meadow in a comfortable silence, the meadow only a fifteen minute walk from the Hob. When we got there Gale laid out an old rug from home and some food that we got along with the pills from the Hob. We lay down on the rug with my head on his chest while he absentmindedly played with my hair, watching the sunset. Before I knew it I fell asleep watching the sunset.

**Gale POV**

She fell asleep curled up against me with her head on my chest. She looks like the girl I first met five years ago in the woods.

_(5 years ago when they first met)_

_I slipped under the fence and walked into the woods. My father taught me to look after my family when I was young, hunting for food, knowing plants to eat or ones that can be used for medicine or ones that are poisonous. My father taught me how to hunt with snares, showing me the basics and as I grew older I improved them._

_I walked to the first snare line I set up, I stopped about ten metres away. There was a girl, about the same age as me, with dark brown hair, stormy grey eyes and very skinny I could even see her ribs though the fabric of her shirt. Just as I had, the seam trademark. She was studying my snare that had caught a rabbit, trying to figure out how it worked. _

'_Ya know that stealing is punishable by death' she whipped around to the sound of my voice while I stood leaning against a tree with my arms crossed casually._

'_I…um…I wasn't stealing, I was just looking at your snares, I can't do them' this is the first time I realised that she had a bow and arrow slung over her shoulder and a game bag on the other almost identical to mine. _

'_Do you hunt? Out here? And by yourself?' I had more questions for the anonymous girl._

'_Yes, my father taught me, he…' she looked like she was recalling memory, 'my mother left and I need to get food for myself and my little sister'._

'_Did your…did your father die in the mines a few weeks ago?' I questioned as mine did too, leaving me as the oldest to help provide for my family, just as she had to. I walked a little bit closer only a few feet away from her now._

'_Yes' she looked down when she whispered so low that only my hunter ears could pick up, 'how did you know?' asking a question of her own._

'_My father died in the same accident, I'm the oldest in my family-apart from my mother- so I have to provide food for my two younger brothers and new born sister' she looked at me with sorrow filled eyes, we both know we had just hit a soft spot, not to mention we only met each other a few minutes ago. It was strange I felt a sudden connection to this nameless girl, not just from our fathers but it felt as if I had known her all my life. _

'_I'm Gale' I offered._

'_Mynameiskatniss' she whispered quickly, not meeting my eyes._

'_Sorry? Your name is Catnip?' that was honestly what I thought she said._

'_Katniss' she said a little louder._

After that I offered to teach her how to set up snares it she taught me how to hunt. We hunted together almost every day after that. I thought over today, the best of my life no doubt. I loved watching her, listening to her, making love to her, the adorable scowl that she has for me whenever I make a smartass comment, when she's angry and when she's happy. I loved her. Earlier when she was scared that she could be pregnant, I couldn't help but imagine a little girl running through our forest, with brown hair pulled into a tight braid and wise stormy grey eye; her mother teaching her how to hunt, how fend for herself, how to stand up in life. I imagined a little Katniss, our child and it warmed me to the bone.

It was getting dark and she was still curled up against me, tired from our earlier events no doubt. Wiggled from under her and stood up, trying not to wake her but she only stirred and then fell asleep again. I packed up the rug and the panic basket containing the food that we still had yet to touch, we'll eat it for dinner. I put the rug in the basket and slung the basket over my shoulder, I walked over to Katniss, still sleeping and picked her up.

'Gale…' I thought I had woken her up and was about to apologize but she her breathing was still peaceful so she must be mumbling in her sleep.

'Gale… I love you' I smiled; this was a peaceful moment, where only she and I existed in the world, no starvation, and no troubles, just us.

'I love you too Katniss, now and forever, I promise' I whispered in her hair.

'I know' again I thought I had woken her up but she responded to me, even in her sleep.

I walked home cradling Katniss in my arms, the best day of my life coming to an end.

**Hope you liked the Gale POV's and I did ok with them. Tell me what you want to see in the story and I'll see if I can put it in. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't and what you thought of the lemon (first one I wrote).**

**Remember, more reviews make me write faster, then I update quicker! So please review! Thanks! -J**


	3. Chapter 3

Hunger games FanFiction- The Complications

**AN: hope you guys enjoy this chapter, my laptop screen is broken so I'm trying to update and write as much as I can so sorry if anything is late + for the 40 hour famine I can't read Fanfic (me and french121 have a $10 bet on it!) and on top of all that I have an exam tomorrow so sorry if the next chapter isn't up to soon, we'll see how it goes though, ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!**

Chapter 3

**Katniss POV **

I wake up in my house, the sun just rising in the early hours of the morning. I become more aware and awake, shit I must've fallen asleep yesterday afternoon. I feel a pair of arms clamping around me, holding me against his beautiful body. I try to stretch but as soon I move his arms pull me tighter to him, not harshly but protectively. I studied his face, tracing his features with the tip of my finger, I had burned the image of his face and body burned into my mind a long time ago and that's where it will stay forever. Gale looked peaceful when he slept, like he didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulder, no worrying about starving, getting caught, his younger siblings. He looked years younger. Like the boy I met in the woods a long time ago.

'Gale' I whispered, kissing the tip of his nose.

'Mmmm?' he grunted, looked at the clock, it was ten o'clock.

'Come on babe, its already ten o'clock and Prim will be back soon, plus we have to do some hunting' I explained.

'Can't we just stay here forever?' he whined but he was a little more conscious but his eyes were still closed. So I decided to really wake him up. I rolled us over and straddled him between my legs, now he was awake and I had his undivided attention. I crushed my lips against his and slid my tongue into his mouth; I could feel his erection pressed up against my thigh, already tall and hard. I rubbed against him until I was satisfied that he was as hard as he could get. He groaned into my mouth and I answered with my own moan. I reached down to his pants and pulled out his manhood.

'What are you doing?' he gasped.

I leaned into his ear, 'I'm returning the favour' I whispered, feeling him shiver.

'What favour?' I didn't answered, I just showed him.

**Gale POV**

I swear to god that she will be the death of me. This is _the_ best wakeup call anyone could've gotten. I could have gone off just from her word that are still lingering in my head, she must mean she was returning what I did to her yesterday. She kissed my neck, making her way down to my abdomen, leaving a trail of soft kisses that felt like sparks under my skin. I felt a hunger, deep in my stomach, just as I had yesterday when we made love for the first time. A hunger for Katniss. I wanted to take her there and then but I knew she would be sore after yesterday so I didn't push it. After what felt like forever she finally got to my manhood, I expected her just to jerk me off. Boy was I wrong. She leaned down and kissed the tip and I felt sparks shooting through my body. I closed my eyes and groaned with anticipation.

I felt the warm, wet walls of her mouth close around me tightly. She took most of me in, I'm not bragging but I was very far from small or even average, I mean I am 6 foot 8". She moved up and down my shaft, slowly at first but then gradually faster. It took bit of strength I had left not to trust up into her, but apparently I wasn't doing as well as I thought because she put a hand on my stomach to keep me grounded. This was one of the best things I had ever felt, aside from actually being inside Katniss. I almost came when she took all of me in; apparently we were both surprised from the look on her face. I found a rhythm and stuck to it, I tangled my hands in her hair but she groaned a small protest so I gripped the old sheets instead.

'Uhhhhh Katniss, harder, I'm….so close' I moaned loudly. She quickened her pace and tightened her mouth around my shaft.

'I'm cuming!' I shouted. I expected her to pull away but she swallowed every ounce I gave her. She kissed her way back up she my mouth and planted a long, passionate one on my mouth, I could taste myself on her lips. We lay back down on the bed, calming down a bit.

After a while I broke the silence, 'That was the best good morning I've ever gotten but you didn't have to' I stated.

She sighed happily, 'I know but I really wanted to'

'Then feel free to do that whenever you like' I smile at her and she chuckled. I pulled her closer to me, encircling her in my arms.

'I think we better have a shower' I looked down at our bodies, dripping with sweat and sticky. I smiled and nodded. We got up and stripped each other; Katniss looked down at herself and was startled at the blood between her legs. I told her that it was normal and should stop soon, I knew that this was hard for her, her mother ran away when our fathers died and there was no one to tell her that these things anymore so I'll just have to help her with it.

After we washed ourselves down and got dressed we headed down stairs and had some break feast, just simple bread and mint leaves. We sat at the table; Katniss was staring out the window, looking deep in thought.

'Katniss what are you thinking?' I asked.

'Hmmm? Oh um I was just thinking that Prim would probably be back in the afternoon and what I should get her for her birthday in a few weeks, I need to go into town and I really need some more money. She's turning thirteen so it needs to be special' she answered.

Katniss has never been any less than perfect to her little sister. She wanted Prim to be like all the other kids at in Prim's grade, living happy and not having a care in the world, not fighting for survival. Katniss took that on herself, she would starve to keep healthy and happy. Prim was a natural healer, just like her mother was too, if there were accidents in the mines then they would be sent straight to Mrs Everdeen but now Prim has taken it upon herself to help the injured in any way she could. Katniss would help from time-to-time, bringing the medical plants that Prim needed and buying bandages, things like that but I know that the men from the mines reminded her too much of our fathers and why her mother ran away, abandoning her only two daughters.

There was a knock at the door that interrupted my thoughts, 'I'll get it' I said. I stood up from the table and walked to the door and opened it. I was surprised to see Quinn standing there with his arm draped our Madge's shoulders. They must be dating now, about god damn time. I grinned at Quinn and he just grinned back, our silent communication.

'Hey guys' I greeted them, stepping back to let them in.

'Oh no, sorry Gale but we can't come in but we just came here to tell you and Katniss that Finnick is having a party tonight and everyone is invited, so can you and Katniss come?' Madge asked. Finnick was always having parties but they were something to take everyone's mind of the harder things. When his parents go to the Capitol he has parties that are one of the very few highlights in District Twelve.

'We'll be there' I confirmed, grinning. This could be a lot of fun. Now just getting Katniss there, that's the hard part.

'Awesome, tell Katniss to come to my house at 5 and we can get ready, the party starts at 7' I agree and we say our goodbyes and I walk back inside.

'Who was it?' she asked, still sitting at the dining table, sipping some coffee. I walk over and get some of my own, casually leaning against the bench.

'We're going to a party tonight' I stated, not really asking. She looked up at me; this might take a lot of convincing.

'I'm not but you can' I internally sighed, she's too stubborn for her own good. I step behind her chair, leaning down behind her neck and placing both our mugs back on the table.

'Please Katniss?' my breath tickling the back of her neck, I feel her shiver.

'No' she says, still confident. I'm going to have to break through her barrier. I kiss the curve in her neck and she tilts her head slightly.

'Please?' trying to sound seductive, hopefully it was working.

'No' but I don't even think she convinced herself, I kissed the sensitive between her neck and her collarbone and that's when she crumbled by letting out a load moan.

'Fine, but we have to go hunting tomorrow with no exceptions, we're low on game' she surrenders, Ha! I won. I smirked against her soft skin and I'm pretty sure she felt it too. She pulled my head around and crushed my lips to hers, kissing me like her life depended on it, so did I but because my life was her.

She stood up and I hitched her around my waist, wrapping her legs around me. I pushed her up against the wall, my hands on backs of her thighs and hers knitted in my hair. She grinded her hips against me and I meet her with my, making me growl and her moan. This of course just made me hard, again. Fucking hormones.

Suddenly she pulled away and hopped down from me and started to walk to the bedrooms. Before she reached them, she turned around grinning at me.

'Karma's a bitch' she remarked and walked into her room, probably getting ready for tonight. I chuckled and then looked down at my situation.

'Fuck me' I said.

'I already have!' she shouted down the hallway from her room. Huh, fucking hunter hearing.

**Katniss POV**

I figured that would be quality payback for making me go to this stupid party. I walked into my room, going to have to get ready for the party, then I realised all I have to wear is pants and a shirt and I doubt that it would be suitable. I sit on my bed, waiting for Gale when I hear a knock at the door. Shit, Prim. I rushed to the door to see Gale was already there holding open the door for Prim.

'Hey little duck, how was your day?' I asked, hugging her as I did.

'Yeah it was good' she put down at her bag and looked at us, she started to laugh.

'What's so funny?' I was so confused right now; I looked at Gale and he was wearing exactly the same expression as I was.

'Look at you two! I hope you used protection' my jaw dropped, Gale just burst out laughing.

'Prim!' I could feel my face blushing dark red. Prim and Gale she kept laughing at me.

'She is a true healer' Gale says, not laughing anymore but still wearing that stupid grin.

'Whatever, hey Prim we kinda have a party tonight at Finnick's' I said, I felt guilty for not spending time with her for the past few days.

'Katniss-' I interrupted her.

'But we really don't have to go' I backtracked.

'Katniss go, seriously I'm almost thirteen, I'll be fine for one night' I nodded.

'Ok, there is some food in the kitchen so make yourself something and we'll be back later' I told her. She nodded and told us to have a good time, then went into her room.

I turned to Gale, 'We both have nothing to wear' I told him.

'We are going to Madge's at 6' I internally groaned, Madge was a great friend and I loved her but she was such a girl, the clothing and make-up was all to over-rated for me. I looked at the clock, it was 5.30.

'Ok let's go' he grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers together, and walked off to Madge's house. It was a quiet walk and by the time we got there it was 6 o'clock on the dot. I knocked on the door and we were greeted by Madge and some of our friends. Gale and I said hi to everyone and Madge told him that the guys were already at Finnick's getting ready and that he could borrow something from him to wear. Gale kissed me goodbye and straight after he left Madge dragged me up to her room along with Annie to get ready.

'Ok so let's get started' Madge said. Madge opened her closet and my jaw dropped, she had more clothes than the whole district had combined. She looked at my expression and chuckled.

'You're going to have a shower, shave your legs and be out in 20 minutes' she instructed so I nodded and did as I was told, no point in arguing now. After I got out of the shower Madge and Annie had already chosen their dress.

Madge was wearing a bright Aqua, shoestring strap dress, that ended on her knees and silver high heels, the dress made her bright blue eyes and blonde hair stand out. Annie was wear a deep forest green, short sleeved dress, that ended on her knees with black high heels that also brought out her forest green eyes and straight black hair. They have done their makeup and I'm guessing they were waiting to do mine.

'Pick which one you like' Madge told me. I scanned the wardrobe and saw a dress that stood out to me. It was strapless and the torso was black then orange in the middle of the skirt then ended in a deep scarlet. I loved it. I pulled it out, walked into the bathroom and got changed. The dress ended just above my knees so it was good that I shaved my legs.

I stepped out of the bathroom, 'Is this ok?' I asked them, they just kept staring at me.

'It's terrible, isn't it? Uh doesn't matter' I sighed, I was about to turn and just go to the party in my normal clothes.

'No, Katniss you look really beautiful' said Annie, I blushed. Madge went back into her closet and brought out a pair of sky high scarlet red heels, I was going to break an ankle tonight. They sat me down in a chair and went to work. They applied things on my eyes, cheeks while I closed my eyes relieved the past few months that I had been with Gale.

After a little while Annie and Madge pulled me out of my day dream. They gave me a mirror to look in and I was amazed, I didn't recognise the beautiful girl staring back at me. Her eyes had very light red eye shadow, some lip gloss and a little mascara, her hair was out and curled into long wavy spirals spraying across her back.

'Thank you so much guys, I don't even recognise myself' they both smiled and Annie told me to do a twirl and so I did, letting them both admire their work.

They both grinned, 'Katniss, you actually look like you're on fire' stated Madge, I just blushed and smiled at her. I looked at the clock on the wall 6.50, God we really took our time.

'Time to go!' Madge piped in. We packed up all our stuff and headed out the door. It was only a 5 minute walk from Madge's to Finnick's. When we open the door and walk in. Tonight is going to be a very _long_ night.

**Tell me what you guys want to see at the party! I'm open to any suggestions, next chapter might take a little longer to go up, please review!**

**-J**


	4. Chapter 4

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: I'm sooo sorry I didn't update earlier, I have had a lot of school work this week but I have a long weekend (thank god). I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm moving on with more of the story now and kinda have an idea of what I'm going to so. Thanks sooo much for the reviews guys and please keep it up, this chap is mainly T only M for the swearing. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 4

**Katniss POV**

_When we open the door and walk in. Tonight is going to be a very __**long**__ night._

We step inside; the house is packed with people from our school and others from the district that I don't recognise. The music pounding through the speakers, we walked through a crowd, looking for the boys. I caught a glimpse of a tall brunette in the crowd that was no doubt Gale. I grabbed Madge and Annie's hands and pulled them towards the boys, Finnick, Gale, Peeta and Quinn were standing near the drinks table. I tapped Gale on the shoulder and when he turned around his jaw dropped.

He hugged me, 'you look beautiful, Fire Girl' he spoke in my ear so I could hear over all the party music, his breath on my neck made me shiver and blush from his words.

'Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself Snare Boy' I teased. He was wearing a dark navy button down shirt (without the first few buttons down up) and brown long pants.

'You wanna drink?' I eyed the drink table that was piled high with alcohol, I've had a drink before but I've never been drunk before. Meh, what's the worst that can happen?

'It's alright Katniss, I'm here' I knew what he was saying without him saying it, he was telling me that he'll make sure I don't do anything stupid of rash and that reassures me.

'Yeah, ok' he grinned and handed me a plastic cup full of beer. I looked at it and then looked at Gale; he gave me an encouraging smile and nod. I took a sip, it was bitter but I actually liked it. I took another sip and a minute or two later I have downed the cup. I ask Gale for another one and I get it, I sip this one slower so I don't get drunk too quickly.

The music turns off and I turn around to see Finnick stand on a table, getting everyone's attention.

'Everyone who has the balls to play truth of dare come into the other room!' he yelled. I look at Gale and he smirks but before either of us can say anything Quinn and Madge come between us, Quinn grabbed both me and Gale and pulled us towards Finnick and Annie.

'Come on guys! Let's get wasted! Woo!' Both Gale and I chuckled, sounds like he was half-way there.

'C'mon guys!' Finnick said grins when we got him and Annie. District 12 had a good relationships with all the other district so there are many exchange students, some stay here and others leave.

In the truth or dare there was:

Me and Gale, Peeta, Quinn and Madge, Finnick and Annie, Thresh (a dark skinned, muscly boy from 11) and Rue (she was our age but smaller, from 11), Foxface a girl from 5 (I didn't know her name) and Johanna from 7 (she was a badass), Cato a jerk originally from 2 and Clove from 2, Glimmer a princess from 1 and Marvel from 1.

I sit down on the floor next to Gale and everyone sits down on the couches or on the floor as Finnick explains the rules.

'Ok guys here's how it goes, if you pick truth you have to take a shot' he says point to the shot glasses and alcohol in the middle of the circle, 'if you pick dare and you chicken out then you have to take three shots, we spin the bottle and if it lands on you, you have to pick truth or dare' well I'm fucked, I look over at Gale and see him grinning.

Finnick spins the bottle and it lands on Cato, 'Dare' he says, 'pick the hottest girl in the room kiss her for five seconds' Finnick instructs, Cato scans the room and gets up. Fuck no, fuck no, fuck no, he's walking towards me, crouches down and kisses me full on the lips. I freeze for five seconds and then when five passes and he is still kissing me I push him back and he falls flat on his ass. Everyone chuckles and he gets back to his seat. I turn to Gale and he looks like he going to murder Finnick and Cato, I chuckle but grab his hand and kissed him. It seemed to calm him down a bit but he still looked like he could kill someone. I decided that a jealous Gale is an extremely sexy Gale.

Through the game so far I have seen numerous couples sneaking looks at each other. Thresh and Rue keep sneaking quick looks when they think no one is looking, I think they are both a little shy but they would be great for each other. Cato is checking all the girls out, whether or not they have a boyfriend and both Glimmer and Clove kept glancing at him. Finnick and Annie were staring at each other when they weren't distracted, nothing new there. Quinn kept making suggestive hand signs to Madge earning him many eye rolls. Johanna was keeping an eye on Peeta but he wasn't looking at anyone in particular, every time my eyes drifted to him he looked back at me and gave me a warm smile. I also noticed that Marvel and Foxface were keeping tabs on each other.

Glimmer and Clove were staring daggers at me after Cato kissed me, I smirk _take that bitches_. Cato spined the bottle and it landed on Glimmer.

'Dare' Glimmer said, I reckon she was trying to get lucky. Cato thought for a moment, he grinned when he thought of something.

'Make out with Clove' he said. A few of us grinned but most were disgusted. Glimmer hesitated but chickened out.

'Uh pass me the shots' she sighs. Finnick grins and pours three shots for her, she's drowns them quickly. She starts to giggle and everyone chuckles, she's so wasted. Glimmer spins the bottle and it lands on Clove.

'Truth' she says and Finnick passes her a shot, she downs it quickly.

'If you could fuck anyone in this room, who would it be?' Glimmer asks, Clove blushes and looks around the room.

'Cato' she says quietly, Cato grins and winks at her. I knew she would say Cato before she did, the way she has been looking at him all night; she has more than just the hots for him. Clove spins on the bottle and it narrowly misses me and lands on Gale, he frowns and I laugh.

'Truth' he says and takes the three shots, Clove considers this for a moment but smirks when she thinks of something.

'How many times have you seen Katniss naked?' everyone howls with laughter, even Gale, when I blush beet red. I guess that might've have been a little bit of payback for Cato picking me.

'Countless times' Gale answers her questions. It was true, a few months after we met each other we had found a beautiful crystal lake a few kilometres from our rock. We went swimming there almost every day in summer; we didn't have any swimming costumes because it was to expense so we kinda….skinny dipped. I'm a very private person and had a bit of a problem with people seeing my bear body and I didn't particularly like seeing other people naked either but of course Gale didn't see any problem with it.

'C'mon man we need a number' Quinn whined, uh he can be such an arrogant asshole sometimes. Gale looked at me for a number, I shrugged not knowing and not really trusting my voice.

'You're such a little fuck Quinn, I dunno umm…. Like 70? Maybe more?' now it was his turn to blush, I chuckled a little to myself. Gale spun the bottle and it landed on Rue.

'Dare' she grinned, maybe she wasn't as innocent as I thought she was. Gale grinned; well she just dug her own grave.

'Make out with Thresh' he said, well apparently I wasn't the only one that caught them looking at each other. Rue blushed a very dark red that even showed up on her dark skin. Thresh look bewildered but you could tell he was happy. Rue self-consciously crawled over to Thresh and put her arms around his neck, he snaked his arms around her waist and puller her closer to him. Their lips slowly met each other's and they kissed passionately, their tongues swirling together. They were still kissing each other a few minutes before Finnick cut in.

'Alright, alright! You can stop sucking off each other's faces now' everyone chuckled; Finnick can be so dramatic sometimes. They pulled away from the kiss and grinned at each other, I wondered if that's what Gale and I looked like when we kissed. She turned to crawl back to her original seat but Thresh pulled her back onto his lap, they smiled at each other. Rue spun the bottle and it landed on Quinn, this was going to be fun.

'Dare' he grinned, I saw Madge roll her eyes, Gale and I chuckle.

'Ok then, how drunk are you?' she questioned

'Pretty fucking drunk' he grins and everyone chuckles, he's completely wasted.

'I dare you to do a nudie run around town' yep, she's definitely not innocent.

'My pleasure' he grins. He strips in the middle of the room while everyone get out their phones to video this. Gale covers my eyes and I giggled, trust Gale to not let me look at anyone else. Madge was trying not stare. A couple seconds later Quinn was out the door and running into town, with a few people running after him with a video camera. Gale pulled his hands away from my eyes and grinned at me, everyone that was in the game has separated for the moment.

'Ya know, you're really hot when your jealous' I grinned mischievously.

'Am I?' He teased, returning my grin. He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and giggled, I was definitely drunk. Gale chuckled and kissed my head, he wasn't as wasted as me. He leant in for a kiss but Finnick, Johanna, Marvel, Cato and a naked Quinn burst into the room.

'Stop sucking each other's faces, we haven't finished yet!' Finnick told us, I rolled my eyes and gale laughed.

Gale covers my eyes from Quinn; I chuckle at this, when he removes his hand Quinn is dressed again and everyone is back in the circle. Quinn spins the bottle and it lands on….Peeta. I almost forgot he was here.

'After what Quinn just did I think I'll stick to truth' he says with a small smile on his face, Quinn grins. Finnick passes him a shot and he downs it quick, he might need a few more after this.

'Are you still a virgin?' This shit is really personal, Peeta blushes.

'Yes' he mumbled.

'What was that?' Quinn asked, he's even more of an asshole when he's drunk. Peeta glared at him

'Yes' he said louder, Quinn just grinned at him. Peeta reached forward and spun the bottle, this time it landed on Thresh.

'Truth' he took the shot, Peeta thought for a second.

'Who is the most beautiful girl in the room?' Peeta asks, he was so sweet…and really hot. The way his dirty blonde hair hung around is face and the way you like he can see your soul when he looks at you with those beautiful blue eyes. No. no, I loved Gale, I'm just really drunk.

'Rue' Thresh says with confidence, Rue blushes and smiles. Thresh spins the bottle and it lands on Foxface.

'Truth' she says, taking another shot.

'What your real name? Everyone here only knows you by Foxface' he asks, so I wasn't the only one wondering.

'Ava' she answers, she spun the bottle and it landed on Cato, she smirked.

'Dare' Cato says.

'Kiss Finnick' she tells him, Finnick chokes on his beer and everyone bursts out laughing. Cato hesitates. Then he takes the three shots in the middle and Finnick sighs with relief, Annie giggles.

'I'm not gay, I take shot over kissing a guy any day' he slurs, he spins the bottle and it lands on…me. Fuck, not Cato.

'Well I'm not kissing Finnick, Truth' I say, Finnick pouts.

'Am I really that repulsive?' Finnick asks, still pouting, everyone chuckles.

'Ok then, are you still a virgin?' Cato asks.

'CATO!' Gale yells, leave it to Cato to be such a dick.

'What? You picked truth so you have to answer the question' he stated, I sighed.

'No I'm not' I said, Gale and I both blushing beat red. Madge looked like she was gonna kill me for not telling her, she gave me a "you are going to tell me everything" look. I wanted the attention of me so I spun the bottle and it landed on…Gale.

'Truth' Gale grinned and I mirrored it. He took another shot; we are both pretty wasted so this should be interesting.

'When did you figure out you loved me? You said you had for years but when exactly?' I asked, honestly curious. He thought about this for a moment.

'A long time ago, maybe…like four years? Patrick was talking to you and everyone knew he had a crush on you; he was trying to flirt with you and asking if he could walk you to class. It made my blood boil, I was so jealous. You have no idea how much I just wanted to deck him as soon as he started talking to you. I realised how protective I felt for you and how much I cared that you might like another guy. I realised how much I was in love with you' I nodded and smile in understanding. Patrick was a merchant kid in our year. I vaguely remember that day, I was suspicious of Patrick. I let him walk me to class and after that he tried to talk to me a few times but I just shut him out.

Gale spins the bottle and it lands on Johanna. Jo was a badass but she was a crack up.

'Dare' she grins evilly.

'Make out with the hottest guy here' Gale said. Without another word Jo walks over to Peeta and straddles him because he is sitting on the couch and kisses him full on the lips. Peeta doesn't really kiss back but he doesn't pull away, he was too polite for that. I frown at how much it actually bothered me that Jo was kissing Peeta, Peeta was just a good friend. That was all I felt for Bread boy, wasn't it? I focus on the game, shaking the thoughts out of my head.

Johanna spins the bottle and it lands on Madge.

'Truth' she says and takes a shot. Johanna pouts, it's quite funny actually but no doubt she had a brilliant dare in her mind, oh well too bad.

'What is your favourite part of Quinn's body?' Madge blushes.

'Abs and ass' she replies, she doesn't really need to think about it. Quinn grins widely and Madge rolls her eyes. Madge spins the bottle and it lands on Marvel.

'Dare' he smiles. Annie cracks a grin.

'I dare you to switch clothes with Glimmer' she says. Everyone starts laughing at the look on both of their faces. Apparently I wasn't the only that caught Marvel staring at Glimmer either.

'NO!' Glimmer screeches but we tell her that rules are rules and that they have to do it. They go into the next room and when they come out we are all laughing hysterically. We all clutch our sides and some people laugh so hard they start crying. Glimmer looks like a child in their parent's clothes; Marvel has to be at least a foot or two taller than her so the pants and button down shirt are like blankets on her. Marvel is wearing a skimpy and very tight cream dress that only just covered his butt. They both frown and it makes us laugh harder, must be all the booze that is making us hysterical.

When we all calm down a bit Marvel spins the bottle and it lands on Annie. As the saying goes, Karma is a bitch. Annie's face is definitely an 'oh shit' moment.

'Truth' she squeaks taking a shot and expecting the worst.

'Switch clothes with Finnick' he says. The problem was the all Finnick was shirtless at the moment.

'That's not fair I already did that one!' she whined.

'Exactly so now you can see what it feels like' he explained grinning. Finnick and Annie leave the room and five minutes later they walk back in. everyone bursts out laughing…again. Annie was standing in her bra with baggy shorts that went down to her knee. Finnick was wearing Annie new dress and it was hanging around his hips, he probably couldn't get it up further without it breaking.

Annie spins the bottle and it lands on Finnick. She smiles.

'Dare' he says.

'Switch clothes with me again' she said, using this to her advantage.

'Aw c'mon Ann that's no fun' he whined.

'Yeah, well that dress is a new and it wasn't cheap, I don't want you ruining it. Some people chuckled at their little argument but eventually Finnick gave up and they switched back. Finnick spun the bottle and it lands on…me….again. Gale grins.

'Uh fine, dare' I said, Finnick gives me an evil smile.

'I dare you to give Gale a lap dance' both Gale and I jaws drop. I blush beat red, how the hell do you give someone a lap dance? Well, here goes nothing.

Someone turns on some music and I gingerly climb onto Gale's lap and straddle him, he grins up at me. I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm not a bad dancer so that should help. I set my back straight and push my chest up. Gale puts his hands on my hips as I start to swing them to the beat. I dance on Gale's lap for a couple minutes, earning a few quite moans from him and a lot of wolf-whistles from the others. The song finishes and I get up off him and sat back down next to him.

'I enjoyed that _very_ much' he whispered in my ear, I smiled at him.

'That's the end of truth or dare for now' Finnick declares.

'Do you want to go home?' I asked.

'Sure' we walk away from each other to say bye to everyone else. I say bye and hug all the (except for Glimmer and Clove) and affectionately punch some of the guy's shoulders. I after I go through everyone so I start to walk around and look for Gale. I walk into the living room where everyone is dancing to the music; I spot Gale over in the corner, talking to someone.

As I get closer I realise that they are more than talking, Gale looks up and catches my stare. I whip around and run.

'Katniss!'

**AN: again I am so so sorry I haven't update in so long, it's a long weekend so I will be writing the next chapter in my spare time. **

**Tell me what you think of this chapter, this one kinda dragged on and took a while to write. If you want to see something happen in the next chapter then review and I'll consider putting it in. **

**By the way if the day or time that I post this ff is weird it is because I live in Australia if you haven't already figured that out. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks so much! ( next one will hopefully b up earlier) **

**-J**


	5. Chapter 5

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: I know, I'm so slack. Once again I'm so sorry, I've had a lot of school work lately and I was sick earlier on in the week and then to top it all off my laptop screen broke. **

**One of my friends told me that I write Peeta weird, I was wondering if anyone else thought that or it was just her being weird? I kinda skimmed the editing too so if there are any mistakes sorry. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. If you still like this story please review and tell me anything that's good or bad about it. This is a slightly longer chapter to. Thanks enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 5

**Katniss POV **

_As I get closer I realise that they are more than talking, Gale looks up and catches my stare. I whip around and run._

'_Katniss!' _

I push through the crowd of dancing people. I needed to get out. How could he do this? Why would he do this? I hear people complaining about how rude I am and who did I think I was? I get through the sea of people, I knock someone and accidently spill their drink all down their front.

'Sorry' I mutter, I don't trust my voice and I already have tears spilling down my face. The person looks down at me and it's none other than Peeta Mellark.

'Its fine' he assures, I help him up and get him a napkin. He thanks me but then he really gets a good look at me, my tear stained face and puffy red eyes.

'Katniss, what's wrong?' Peeta asks with genuine worry. I hear Gale shout my name again; I can see his head pushing through the crowd. I need to leave, now. Gale spots me and I do the first thing that comes to mind. I grab Peeta's shirt and crush my lips against his, he is stunned for the moment but then he returns the kiss. It feels different to kissing Gale, more delicate and soft. I guess that is just who Peeta is though, kind, loving and compassionate. There are some tiny sparks but when I kiss Gale it's like an inferno.

I break the kiss and pull away from Peeta. I look into the clear crystal pools that are his eyes. I know that Gale is watching this, let's see how he likes a taste of his own medicine.

'I'm sorry' I whisper in Peeta's ear quietly so only he can hear me.

I turn around and run into a wall, I put my hands out to steady myself….wait, since when did walls have tanned and chiselled abs? I looked up through my tear clouded eyes to see a furious Gale, when he looks at me he cracks and the misery that seeps onto his face is hard to miss. I just shake my head and run past him. I run as hard and fast as I can but when that's not fast enough I take off my high heels and sprint so hard that I don't think I will be able to move my muscles in a week.

I run and run as hard and as fast as I ever have before. When I can't go any further and the alcohol takes effect I turn a corner and sink down in an alley. I don't know where I am but I know I don't want to be found. It starts to rain, the water seeping through my dress, I know I will catch a cold but at the moment I don't care. As soon as I catch my breath the tears start to flow again, it's unusual when I cry because I don't like being weak but I decided that tonight was an exception and I cry myself to sleep.

**Gale POV (previously at the party) **

Katniss went saying goodbye to everyone and let them know that we were leaving. I exchange my goodbyes and shake hands with people when I pass them; I was heading upstairs to get my clothes from earlier tonight. I walked into the living room where everyone was dancing, passing the drinks table but then I was cornered, pushed up against the wall.

I guess Katniss has said goodbye to everyone. I smirked and looked down at my attacker…but it wasn't Katniss. It was a girl that goes to our school, she's in our year as well, I think her name was ….Marley? …Maria….oh! It was Marissa (I hope it was, anyway); she had blonde hair and blue eyes, the merchant traits.

'Hey Gale' she purred.

'Umm…hi Marissa' I've seen this shit happen to other people before and if it goes anything like I remember then I'm screwed.

'I saw you looking at me on the dance floor, I know you like me' she put her hand on my chest.

'Actually I was looking for Katniss, you know, my _girlfriend_' I grabbed her hand and put it back by her side.

'Oh, her? Who cares she's just some old, ugly seam trash. C'mon I know how to show a good time, she doesn't have to know' I was fuming by now, no one and I mean _no one _calls the girl I'm in love with ugly, trash or fucking insults where I'm from. If she wasn't a girl I would've already given her one bitch of a black eye. But even when I'm drunk I'm better than that, better than this.

'You know you want me' she tried to say seductively, there is only one voice I'll find sexy. This slut is either really drunk or she's fucking delusional.

'No I really don't and I swear to god if you insult my girlfriend again I will make your life a living hell' I threatened. Yeah, I know that's low of me but hey, in my defence I am pretty drunk. She smirked and pushed up against the wall, she stronger than she looks. Before I could retaliate she grabbed my face and pulled me down to her level, she crushed he lips to mine. It was disgusting, nothing like Katniss kissing. I looked up for a split second and guess what? There is Katniss staring at us with tears streaking her face. Fuck, no, no, no, no! She's taking this the wrong way, no! I give the most pleading and loving look that's possible. She just shakes her head, turns and runs. I push Marissa off me and run after her.

The kiss lasted for all of three seconds, three seconds that have ruined me. I was kissed by some merchant bitch, I hurt the girl I love, lost my girlfriend and she probably hates me now. Katniss has gotten jealous before and I let her go, so she can think rationally and cool down a bit. I can't do it now though, she can't leave, I can't let her go, not this time.

I run after her, pushing through the crowd of people. I barrel through the next room after her and she's standing with her back to me. She not just standing there, she….she's fucking kissing Mellark. How the fuck can he take advantage of her like that? Who does he think he is?

Katniss breaks the kiss and whispers something. Probably like 'I hate you' or something, but she doesn't want to make it more of a scene than it already is. She turns to run but I'm in her way and I'm fuming. I'm mad at Mellark, I'm mad at Marissa; if I didn't know any better there would be steam coming from my ears. I look into her stormy grey eyes and all the anger leaves me. Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot from crying and tear stains running down her cheeks. She sees my change of emotion but she just shakes her head, runs past me and runs out the door.

I stare at the door, willing for her to come back. But of course she never does. I turn back to Mellark, as soon as I look at his face all the anger returns. He's staring at door just as I was, he looked hopeful and this just made me angrier, can't he see that she's mine?

Mellark stands there for a few moments before realising that I was still here. I storm towards him but he stands his ground. From the looks I was getting from some other people I must have looked scary as hell because they looked like they were going to shit themselves. Mellark and I are polar opposites, besides our height and strength which there wasn't much difference between. I was a little taller but he was broader across the shoulders.

'Did you just fucking kiss my girlfriend Mellark?!' I shout at him but surprisingly he still stood his ground, I don't know whether it was the drinks that was giving him the courage or if he…nah it's the drinks. Either way the kid's got balls.

'No, Hawthorne actually she kissed me' No. he's lying the is no way in hell Katniss would do that, not even if they were the last people left in the district.

I'm furious; he has no right to do that to Katniss. I'm furious; before I even know what I'm doing I punch him in the face. He stumbles back but Finnick catches him, when he's sure footed he stares me down but I'm not letting him have to satisfaction so I stare back.

'Both of you calm the fuck down cause I am not gonna to clean this shit up' Finnick says, he step in the middle of us and so does Quinn, he knows that Finnick won't be able to keep both of us back.

'The only reason that I'm not going to beat you to a pulp right now is because it will hurt Katniss' Bread boy growled at me. I barked a laugh.

'I'd like to see you try, why the hell do you care about Katniss?' I spat back.

'I care about her because she is my friend' he snarled.

'And I'm her boyfriend; you know the one that is in love with her?' I snarled back.

'Yeah, I can tell you really love her while you're over there sucking someone else's face off' that's it. I lung at him, I want to hurt this son of a bitch but it Quinn and Finnick knew what was coming (I would've had Mellark's head if they weren't there); they both pushed me back and held me in place. Bread boy doesn't even flinch, how much has he had to drink?

'Go and get her Gale before you do something stupid' Quinn told me. It was strange hearing something so wise coming out of Quinn's mouth. I just nodded, I need to find her. It might sound sappy but it hurts me to see her in pain, I have an overwhelming urge to make it all go away for her.

'We're not finished Mellark' I stated. Without another word I walked out of the door, I need to find her. Now.

I sprint to her house first and pound on the door. There is no answer for a minute or two but my hunter hearing picks up the sound of light footsteps. The door opened, revealing Prim.

'Gale? What are you doing here? It's so late' she mumbled, she was still half asleep and rubbing her eyes.

'Is she here?' I asked her.

'Who?' she asked, confused

'Katniss, is she here or not?' I asked, this was urgent and Prim could see that now.

'No, I thought she was with you at the party' Prim frowned; she was trying to think of where she might be.

'Tell me if she comes back here' I ordered, she nodded. I told her that I needed to leave to find Katniss and Prim told me that she would keep me posted.

I run. I run through the seam, no sign of her. I run through the alleys and paths of the Hob, no sign of her. I run through town, no sign of her. By now it's raining, hard.

There is only one other place I can think of. The woods. It's too dark and too late to be going into the woods, with no light and unprotected but that doesn't stop me. I run through the meadow, I get to the fence, crawl through the mud and run into the forest. I slip multiple times in my urgency.

The first place I check is the old cabin that we discovered a few weeks after we became hunting partners. The way she was running she could've made it out here quickly, that's if she was even here. To my frustration she wasn't there.

The next place I check is our meeting place at the rock. I doubt that she would be there but I check anyway, just in case. I was right, she's not there.

I give up on the woods; there is no way she could've made it out to the lake that quickly, even if she was running at full speed. I scramble under the fence and start walking toward the seam, I can't run anymore. I have no energy and my muscles are killing me but I'm not giving up.

I walk the seam again checking every alley, crack and crevasse. It's the early hours of the morning by now and I'm starting to panic. I look harder, willing her to be ok, for her to be safe and for her in be in my arms. I look for hours and there is still no sign. I eventually end up walking down the road back to her house; I crawl up on the porch and look out into the rain. I'm soaking but I really don't care. I fall asleep but no before praying for her to come home.

**Peeta POV**

I walk back towards my home in town, the bakery. I was still holding half melted ice against the eye that Gale took a swing at. After Gale left everyone eventually resumed in what they were previously doing before the fight (if you could even call it that) and Finnick and Quinn dragged me into the kitchen at helped me sober up a bit as well as giving me some ice for my eye. I didn't retaliate against Gale because I knew that if I hurt him then I hurt Katniss and that's the last thing I'll ever do.

About an hour later I decided it was time to go home, I had had enough of this party. So I thanked Finnick and Quinn for helping me out and here I am now walking home with a freaking plastic bag on my face.

I reached to bakery and it had started to pour a few minutes ago. I ran to avoid getting anymore wet than I already was. I was shocked by what I saw.

There is Katniss Everdeen, leaning against my house, sopping wet in a short dress and passed out. I sighed and chucked my ice into the bin, there was no way in hell I was leaving her out her, she'll catch pneumonia with this weather. I walk over a pick her up bridal style and carrying her inside.

My mother is in district ten on business thank god but my father should be awake and my brothers are either out or asleep (hopefully). The blast of warmth from the ovens hits up immediately and it's welcome. To my surprise my father isn't up, I look at the clock on the wall. Shit, it's really late.

I walk up the stairs and Katniss stirs a little but just tucks herself against me. I smile; it's such a peaceful moment despite the circumstances. I carry her to my room and place her on my bed, and then I'm faced with a dilemma. I can't leave her in those clothes because they are still sopping but I don't want to invade her privacy by changing her.

_Fuck it_, I think. I whip my wet clothes off and change into boxes and a tight white t-shirt. I walk over to her and unzip the dress on the side and slip it off her. She truly has a beautiful body, she is slimmer because of her under nourishment, I can make out the very faint outline of her ribs but beautiful none of the less. I grab one of my big, warm sweaters from my closet and pull slip it over her.

This is a sight I only ever dreamed of seeing. Katniss Everdeen, in my bed and wearing my clothes. I nudge her over to one side and slip into my bed with her, I'd sleep on the floor but it's too cold for that.

She isn't facing me but I'm facing her back, I pull the covers over us, she stirs and turn then snuggles into me, laying her head and resting her hand on my chest as the other arm is draped across my waste. I wrap my arms around her protectively and smile. I try and savour every moment of this while it lasted but eventually I drift off into a dreamless sleep.

**Katniss POV**

I wake up in a warm, dry, comfortable bed. I smile, relieved. Last night must've been a dream, none of it actually happened. I'm no drenched but in my underwear with a large sweater covering me.

I look up at the body that I'm protected by. It's…Peeta. Not Gale, Peeta. That means that Gale did really cheat on me, that he doesn't love me. I know this is wrong, to be in a bed with my friend but for once my mind isn't screaming at me to run. Peeta has this calming and comforting presence, whenever you're around him you can't be angry.

While I was thinking I didn't realise that he was actually awake already. He's studying me, trying to predict what I'm going to do. Either run or stay. What does it matter anymore? I'm staying.

'Hi' I say. He seems surprised, probably that I was first to talk.

'Hi' he whispered.

'Where are we?' I already knew the answer but I wanted to be sure.

'In my room, at the bakery' he answered, I nodded.

'What's the time?' hopefully it's not too late.

'3 in the afternoon' he chuckled. I shoot up into a sitting position and he follows me. That's when I feel the alcohol take effect from last night. It feels like some smashed my head with a sledge hammer. I groan and hold my head. Note for future: No quick movements the morning after having a lot of drinks.

'Katniss?' he sounds worried, typical Peeta I think.

'Shit…I left Prim home all day, she hasn't got any food either and she doesn't know where I am and my head…uggh' I groan. Peeta gets up and looks out the window; it's still pouring which means I can't hunt, which means I don't have any food.  
'C'mon I'll get you some water and foot it will help your head' he said.

I got up slowly from the bed, still feeling the full effects of the booze. I stumble a bit but he grabs my hand and steadies me. He leads me down the stairs and into the kitchen, still holding my hand. He lets go of me to go and get some food and water while I sit at the table. Where are all his family?

'My mother is in District 10, my father is dealing with some paperwork at the Justice Building and who the hell knows where my brothers are?' he answers. Whoops, I didn't realise I said that out loud. He brings over two large glasses of water and a plate of cheese buns, my favourite. I look up at him and he blushes.

'I remembered' I answered my unspoken question. We sit and eat in silence for a few minutes. Then there was a slight draft and I shivered. I remember what I was wearing.

'Peeta, did you change my clothes?' I asked, he blushes a deep scarlet.

'Yeah, sorry but I didn't want you to catch a cold' he confessed, I smiled at him. The way he said it you think he was confessing to killing someone.

'No it's ok I was just wondering, I'd rather not be undress by some crazy stranger' I joked and he chuckled, 'but thank you' I added.

'No problem' he answered. We finish our food and cleaned up our plates. I look outside again, it's still raining.

'You can't hunt in this weather, you'll hurt yourself and plus there won't be any game out' I want to argue with him, tell him that he's wrong but I know that he's write and there's nothing I can do about it.

'Wait here' he instructs and runs upstairs. I need to get home to Prim, she'll be worried sick. Peeta comes down minutes later with a bag and something else that I can't see but he then he goes into the kitchen. He comes back to where I'm standing and hands me two bags and a pair of pants.

'These are the smallest pants I own but there probably too big' he apologizes handing me the pants, 'here's your dress and shoes' he says handing me one bag. I look inside; it's dry, clean and thankfully not ruined.

'And here is some food for you and Prim' he says handing me the last bag. I look inside and its full of cookies, cheese buns, cakes and bread.

'Peeta I can't take this, it's too much but thank you for the pants and for fixing my dress but the food is too much' I say handing him back the food. He shakes his head and pushes it back to me.

'No, take it; really it won't make a difference. My mother isn't here and my father would've done the same thing. Really Katniss, you won't be able to hunt until the weather clears up and this will get you through until it does' he tells me but I still can't take it, it would take months of hunting to get this much food.

'Peeta, I really can accept this' I say again, doesn't matter how much I need it.

'Please Katniss take it, for Prim?' uh, that's my weak spot. If it's for Prim then I will have to take it.

'Fine but only for Prim' I huffed and he smiled and then winced in pain. I wondered why but then I could see a bitch of a bruise, blossoming on his right eye.

'Who did this?' I demanded.

'Katniss it really doesn't matter' he said, trying to wave me off. I grabbed his face and pulled him down to me, trying to get a better look at the damage.

'Peeta, tell me who did this' I ordered, staring into his crystal blue eyes.

'Gale, we got into a fight after you left' he admitted. Anger boiled over me, how could he do this to Peeta? Peeta did nothing but he did. How could he lay one fucking finger on my boy with the bread?

'Katniss calm down, it's okay, and we were both drunk and angry. Seriously I'm fine' I internally smiled; he always saw the best in people and situations.

'Did you hit him back?' I asked, I hope he did. I much as I love gale, sorry I mean… I try and think of the word _loved _but I can't. I still love him, no matter what he does or has done.

'No' he said, this shocked me but it didn't at the same time. Peeta wouldn't hurt anyone purposely but I surprised because I didn't think he could still be that rational when he was so drunk.

'Why not?' I asked.

'Because I knew if I hurt him I would hurt you and I didn't want to do that' I answered, I was still holding his face close to mine and I couldn't find any traces of a lie in his eyes. I walk over to the back door and he follows me.

I kiss him on the cheek and hug him. 'Thank you for everything. You will always be my boy with the bread, Peeta' I whisper in his ear. I pull back and he gives another warm smile. I turn to leave but his words stop me.

'I think about that all the time, when I threw you the bread' he told me.

'Me too, Peeta' I smiled at him.

'Goodbye Katniss' he smiled back.

'Bye Peeta' I said and without another word I run out into the rain with the bags and wearing Peeta's clothes.

It takes me about 10 minutes to get to my house but only because I'm sprinting at full pace, trying to escape the rain. When I reach my house, there is Gale passed out on my porch. Just my luck.

**AN: I know all the Gale lovers out there reading this probably hate me but don't worry I love both Peeta and Gale. It's all part of my master plan ;) **

**I decided that I will update every week and if not it will hopefully be earlier. Please tell your thought on how I write Peeta. **

**I also really wanna know what you guys thought of Gale and Peeta's mini bitch fight?**

**Please review if you want me to keep going with this, tell me what you hate and what you love. **

**Thanks for reading; next chap will be up as soon as possible. PLEASE REVIEW! **

**-J **


	6. Chapter 6

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: hey guys, hope you enjoy this chapter. Tell me if you want to see anthing happen in particular and I'll see if I can make it happen. Tell me what you like and what you don't. please read my authors note at the bottom of this chapter when you're done. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks again for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 6

**Katniss POV **

Go back and read the authors note. I know you didn't

I stopped a few feet away from my porch, where he was sleeping. I chuckled to myself a little; he was snoring but it was soft. He only snores when he's had a hard day or night. He's lying down at the top of the few stairs, so that he's blocking the pathway. It still raining and I'm getting drenched, I have to get inside soon but I can't deal with Gale right now though.

He shattered me when he kissed that other girl. Everything he told me was a lie. Every kiss, every promise and every word. Even though all that I can't bring myself to hate him. Looking at him now, seeing how vulnerable he is, a side that he rarely shows, it still breaks my heart.

_That's because you still love him, _a voice in my head tells me.

He has his arms wrapped around his torso, trying to get warm and he's shivering. I slowly walk up the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. I get to the last step and stop, he still looks like the boy I met years ago. I felt a silent tear sliding down my cheek; I let it fall to the ground but wipe away its evidence. No more crying.

I step over him and he shifts under me. I have one leg over each side of him. He looks up groggily and looks at me.

'Is this a dream?' he asked, thank god. I sigh a breath that I didn't know I was holding in. I look down at him and I can't help but smile warmly. He's so cute, his hair is all over the place and he looking up at me innocently, like a young child.

'Yes sweetheart, it's a dream, go back to sleep' I tell him warmly. He turns on his side and closes his eyes; I swing my leg over him and start towards the door.

'Stay with me?' he asks before I reach the door, he has his eyes closed. He doesn't know what is going on but I can't do this now. I haven't forgiven him, not yet and I don't know if I can. I trusted him and he broke me. I went against everything I used to stand for and believed in for him and he kisses someone else.

'I can't Gale' I whisper but he still hears me.

'Do you love me?' he asks but I know that he stills thinks this is a dream.

'I don't know any more Gale, I really don't' I know that I do still love him but I can let this go as easily as I wish I could.

'Then this is a nightmare' he sleepily whispers back. This rips me apart, I start to silently cry. He opens his eyes a little but closes them and in a few moments I can hear him back softly snoring again. So much for not more tears.

(Line break)

I walk inside, still silently crying. I know I said no more but no matter how hard I try I can't stop the tears from flowing down my face. I walk into the kitchen and sit my bags on the table; the contents aren't wet thank god. I put the bread away in the cupboards and the dress is a little damp so I set it in front of the hot coals. Gale must've made a fire at some point last night or sometime earlier today, it's gone out now but the coals are still hot. I put some more dry wood in the fire place; I sit in front of the fire and watch the wood burn. It's strangely peaceful; I forget all my troubles for a few moments, drifting into my own world.

'You should change into some dry, you'll catch a cold otherwise' a voice says behind me.

'I know' I say but still stare into the fire.

'He was worried that you were in trouble or that you had hurt yourself. He ripped the district apart looking for you for hours, he came back here and passed out' Prim said behind me. She wasn't harsh or scolding me but more just informing me. We help each other, that's how it works and that's what she's trying to do. Help me. I don't answer her; I just keep looking into the fire, as if it will solve all my problems.

'Go and change Katniss. Staring at the fire won't make everything go away; you have to sort this out yourself. Whatever you're thinking right now and I know that it's not good. Whatever happened between you and Gale shouldn't break you apart. He still loves you, no matter what happen now, before or in the future he always will' Prim reassured me, I smiled.

'I thought I was the one that was supposed to be looking after you, not the other way around' I commented.

'Katniss, I'm practically a teenager, I can take care of myself' she laughed lightly. The thought alone scared me, Prim not needing me anymore. She's everything a person would want to be, loving and kind and compassionate and someone who accepted other for who they really are. I look at Prim and think about all the things she will achieve, all the things that she has done for people, how many lives she's saved. Prim is a symbol of hope, not just to me but to the entire district. She's our Mockingjay.

I stand up and hug her, she gives me a smile, I return it and go to my room to clean up and change into dry clothes.

**Gale's POV**

I wake up wishing that everything that happened last night was just a bad dream, that none of it happened. My aching muscles, killer hangover and the fact that I am sleeping on the Everdeen's porch shatters my hope.

I think about my "dream" I had a few hours earlier. I know it wasn't a dream now. I asked her if she was in love with me, she said she's not sure anymore. It's not like we haven't fought before but this time it will take more than a kiss or an apology for her to forgive me.

Despite the bitch of a headache I have, I stand up and knock on the door, I know she's here. She wouldn't leave Prim alone for this long, not even for the world. A few moments later Prim opens the door.

'Hi Gale' she greets me.

'She's here, isn't she' it was more of a statement than a question. Prim looked conflicted, I don't think she knows what happened between Katniss and I, but I know that Katniss has told Prim to not let me in or tell me that she isn't here. Prim just ended up nodding.

'I need to see her' I said.

'Gale, I really don't think that's a good idea-' she started.

'Sorry Prim but I have to see her' I interrupted her. Prim sighed and stepped to the side to let me through. I walked through and headed straight to Katniss's room, she liked privacy. I knocked on her door. There was some noise on the other side of the door.

'Come in Prim' she answered after a minute or two but it felt like hours. Her voice sounded almost dead, lifeless with a hint of sorrow. I open the door and step inside.

'Try again' I said softly. She looked at me and gasped. Her hair was a little damp and pulled into a messy, knotty braid. There were smeared tear stains from her wiping the tears away; her eyes were red and puffy. We just stood there, taking each other in. there was a long silence and it was becoming uncomfortable. It was never like this between us and I'm not planning to let it happen now.

'Katniss, s-say something' I stutter, I can feel the tears sliding down my cheeks, just like her. Apart from when I was child the only time Katniss has ever seen me cry is when I broke my leg in the woods while we were hunting but that was years ago. Even then those were tears of frustration, not sorrow. I have seen Katniss cry before, she hates crying, and she thinks it makes her look weak. I'm not heartless, I do cry but I refrain from crying in front of Katniss. I don't like to cry in front of her because I need to be there for her, I need to be strong for her. But this time I can't stop the salty water from flowing down my face, it hurts to see her like this. I'm her protector, her rock, her lover, her friend, I'm whatever she needs and I will always be that for her. For now and forever.

I'm still standing by the door; I slowly start my way towards her. She is sitting up on her bed, hugging her knees against her chest. I gently sit on the bed, a good half a metre away from her and the distance is killing me. She stays silent.

'Please' I try to say strongly but it comes out like a strangled plea. More tears make their way down my cheeks. I inch a little closer to her, she doesn't move or shift so I keep getting a little closer until there is only a few excruciating centimetres between us.

'Katniss, just say something, anything' my voice is getting louder with frustration, I don't mean to shout at her but I can't help it.

'Tell me you hate me! Hit me, hurt me! Just something….anything at all' my voice falters. But it works. She looks at me I mean really looks at me not through me like she has been. The tears are streaming down her face, Katniss is a protector and I can tell that she hates seeing me like this. I reach out and put my hand on her but she flinches and snatches her hand back. I frowned and clenched my fists; my head still feel like an explosion went off from the beer and shots last night.

'I'm going home to check on my family and get rid of this bitch of a hangover. I'll be back tomorrow and if you're not going to school then I will be here too, I know you might hate me right not but it's going to take a lot to get rid of me Katniss. I'm sorry Katniss, please forgive me if you can, I'll explain everything tomorrow, when I can think straight'

Without another word I stand and walk away from the love of my life.

**Peeta's POV**

I can't sleep. Too many things have happened to me today, I have too much to think about. I woke up with the girl I love in my bed and she didn't scream at me or hate me like I thought she would when we woke up.

I got up out of bed, put on a jumper, slipped on some shoes and went down stairs. I need some fresh air, I need to think straight.

I walk out of the bakery and start walking through town. Katniss didn't freak out this morning when we were sleeping in the same bed, she opened up to me. She let me in. I have a feeling that she trusts me.

I wonder if she likes me.

_No, Mellark. She's in love with Gale, they're together. You don't come into the picture, you're not important to her. Maybe as a friend, maybe even a close or best friend but nothing more._ A voice in my head says.

Katniss is a protector. She'll protect her family and the people she loves at any cost. I need to earn her trust but for some reason I feel like I already have. Maybe it was from when I gave her the bread all those years ago.

_7 years ago_

_It was pouring outside. The weather has been bad lately, there has been a food shortage and there has been a recent accident in the mines, leaving over sixty good men dead. Leaving families starving and having to sell what they can to survive. The mine accident was a few weeks ago but there are still many families across the district mourning for their loved ones. _

_We've been backing non-stop. Everyone has been buying what they can while they can and we ordered enough ingredients a few weeks ago to last us another month or two. My thoughts are interrupted but my mother looking out the window, she's fuming and ranting. _

'_Who does that seam girl think she is?! Going around, digging through our trash like an animal! Well I guess that all Seam people are animals, savages.' I'm pretty sure that she is talking to herself instead of me. She walks away from the window and out of sight. _

_I finish shaping my dough and put it over the fire. I walk over to the window to see the person that was digging through out garbage. The girl can't be any older than me, probably the same age as me. She is drenched and I can see her ribs through her shirt that is moulded to her. She has a jacket on but it doesn't look the slightest bit warm. Her dark chocolate brown hair is pulled into a braid on the side. Then I recognise her, it none other than Katniss Everdeen. The girl I have been in love with since I was five years old. _

_She's starving and has resorted to looking through our garbage. My mother comes back, interrupting my thoughts but I notice that she is armed with a broom stick too. She walks out the door, screaming at Katniss. I need to help her, she and most likely the rest of her family are starving and freezing while I'm here standing by the open fire baking bread. _

_The bread! I know how I'm going to help Katniss. I go to the bread that I've just made and push it further into the fire. I leave it there for a few minutes and pull it back out and out the two loaves on the bench. Perfect, the ends of the bread are burnt. My mother walks back it, muttering under her breath and she sees the bread._

'_PEETA!' she screams at me, 'no one is going to buy burnt bread you immobilise!' she shoves the bread into my hand, they are scorching hot and they burn my hands. She pushes me out the back door and into the rain. She hits me square across the face. My mother has a short temper, not to mention that she hates me. I get beaten by her frequently; there are four reasons why I tolerate it. _

_Because she is my mother and I can't retaliate_

_I raised by my father to respect my elders and to be the better person _

_I'm only 9 years old, almost ten. I can't defend myself. _

_It's not in my nature to hurt anyone or anything. _

'_Feed it to the pigs!' she commands me but I have a better idea. I walk around to the pig pen and rip of the burnt parts off the bread; I throw them into the pen. I whip around, looking for Katniss. She can't have gone too far in her condition and I need to be quick before my mother comes back. Then I spot her, curled up under a tree about twenty metres away. _

_I sprint towards her, running further into the rain. I get to her quickly and practically shove the bread in her hands, she looks up at me. _

'_Take it. Go home. You're a survivor, look after your sister. Quickly before my mother comes back' I say all this quickly and commanding. She looks down at the bread and then back to me. _

'_Why?' she questions, her beautiful stormy grey eyes look like they have a little more life in them. Hope. She has hope in her eyes. _

'_Because I couldn't live another second if you died' I say truthfully, all my love for her in my voice. Without another word I run back to the bakery, hoping my mother has seen none of that. I get back and act like nothing happened. I'm surprised by my courage; I spare a quick glance out the window when I'm not being watched by my mother. _

_She's not there anymore. I sigh in relief and then go back to making more bread, my thoughts filled with Katniss. _

A freezing gust of wind brings me out of my thoughts, I'm surprised to find that I have walked all the way to the Seam; I must have been walking longer than I thought. However I'm not surprised to find myself outside of the Everdeen's house.

I smile to myself. I smile at the fact out of all the places to walk to in District 12, I end up here. My smile quickly vanishes when I hear a blood curdling scream from inside the house.

**Katniss's POV  
**_I'm walking through the Seam, towards the mines were my father works. I spot him at the front of a group of other miners. I stop walking and watch him. He walks into the mines and he and the rest of the group cram into the small dangerous lift. I watch him slowly descend and just before his head disappears into the dark coal mines he gives me a warm smile. A smile that reminds me of the way Peeta smiles. As a he's gone an explosion rocks the earth beneath my feet and I'm thrown back several metres._

_I get up. I can see wounds covering my body, cut, bruises and burns. I see them but I feel nothing. I run to the remains of the mine. I scream. I scream for my father, begging him to come back. I collapse into a ball and sob._

_I look up and the scene has change. Romulus Thread is standing in front of me a gun in hand. He is holding it point blank at Gale's heart. Gale is kneeling in front of Thread, his hands tied behind his back and his feet bound together. His face shows sorrow, a silent tear sliding down his cheek. I try to move in between them but despite my best efforts I can't move. I try to save Gale, to take the bullet. I scream for Thread to have mercy, to stop. Gale looks me in the eyes. _

'_Save me Katniss' he pleaded, I try to help him. I try to save him but I can't move and no matter how loud I scream neither of them can hear me._

'_Katniss, if you really love me, you'll save me' he said. I keep trying but my actions are useless. I'm crying and sobbing by now. _

'_It's ok. I was kidding myself when I thought you really loved me. I know you love him. It's ok. I love you' I bawling now, only metres away from them. I need to save him. I should be able to save him. I wanted to tell him that I love him, I don't love anyone else. I have to tell him that I can't live without him. Who does he think I love? Peeta? Hell, for all I knew he could be talking about Quinn or Cato._

_Thread look at me and gives me an evil grin. He turns back to Gale and pulls the trigger. I scream and scream. I scream for Gale, for him to come back. I scream at Thread. I keep screaming until the only sound filling my ears is the sinister laugh coming from Thread. I curl into a ball and cry. _

_The scene changes again. This time I'm kneeling in front of a bed. Prim is encased in sheets and blankets. I can see her arms and her torso. I can see every single bone in her body; they are sticking out in a sickly way. She's starving to death. I quickly look around the room for food but there is none. I try the door; maybe I can go hunting really quickly and bring her back something. The door is locked. I can't do anything but watch my poor little sister die from something that I have been trying to prevent ever since our mother left. _

_Prim just stares at me as I sob quietly beside her. I stroke her hair, waiting for death to claim her. She smiles weakly at me. _

'_Katniss, why did you never come back?' she asks me. I tell her that I never left, that I'm sorry but she either can't hear me or she doesn't listen. _

'_You left me to fend for myself. You left me to starve. You left me to die' she told me. Prim has always been my reason to live, to keep going. Everything I do is for her. To try and make sure she has as much as a normal life as possible, like the other kids. _

'_Prim, I would never leave you. I never left you. I'll always be here, keeping you feed and cared for. I promise I never left and I never will' this time she hears me, she slightly shakes her head. I hold her hand as the tears start to flow again. _

'_Then why am I dying?' she questions me. Before I can answer she closes her eyes and I feel her hand go limp in mine. I cry again, I cry for my baby sister. _

_The scene changes again. I'm sitting underneath a tree in the rain. I've been here before. I realise I am outside the Mellark Bakery. This is the same day that Peeta saved my life. I see Peeta and his mother outside, Peeta is holding the bread and his mother is holding the broom stick she used to attack me. _

_I see her scream at him but I can't hear what she says. She starts to hit him and he does nothing to defend himself. She keeps hitting him until he is slumped on the floor but even then she keeps beating him. _

'_Peeta!' I scream, I run over to him. I roughly push his mother off him and she falls to the ground. I don't waste any time on her though, I turn back to Peeta. He's still conscious but barley, I turn around. His mother is there anymore, she's gone. Peeta feebly grasps my hand in his. _

'_Peeta, why didn't you fight back?' I ask him. _

'_Katniss' is all he says. _

'_I'm here, I'm still here. I'm so sorry Peeta, I should've helped you' and once again I'm crying. _

'_Katniss' he says again. _

'Katniss! Wake up!' I slowly open my eyes, scared that this still might be another horrible scenario. I see Peeta hovering above me with his hands on my shoulders; he was trying to wake me up.

'Peeta? What are you doing here?' I say, sitting up a bit and silently thanking him for waking my up from my nightmare.

'I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk and I could hear you screaming. I'm surprised that you didn't wake up the whole of Panem' he chuckled lightly but I could still see the worry in his bright blue eyes.

'Sorry, nightmares' I answer back.

'Do you get them a lot?' he asks. I nod.

'That was the worst one yet' I said. I'm aware that this is the first time Peeta has been in one of my dreams. Well, nightmares.

'You want to talk about it?' he asks. I nod. Peeta is so easy to talk to. He always sees the best of things and he never judges you. He's sitting on my bed now and I'm laying with my back against his chest. He gives me an encouraging smile.

'First it was my father. I watched him go into the mines and when I couldn't see him, the explosion went off. That is one of my more frequent nightmares. Then it was Gale getting shot by Thread and he told me that if I loved him I could save him but I couldn't move and when I spoke or screamed they couldn't hear me. He said I didn't love him' I feel the tears coming back, I try hold them back but one betrays me and makes its way down my face. Peeta wipes it away and is soothingly rubbing my arm.

'Was that all?' he asks, probing lightly.

'No, then there was Prim. She was starving to death and I couldn't do anything about it. She said that I left her and that she had to fend for herself. It was my fault that she died' I silently sobbed. Peeta stayed quiet, knowing that I had more to say.

'Then there was you' I looked up at him and he looked genially surprised. He gave me another warm smile, just like my father's, so I continued.

'It was the day you gave me the bread, the day you saved my life when we were children. Your mother hit you but she didn't stop and you didn't defend yourself. She kept hitting you and hitting you and I ran over and pushed her off but you were already slumped on the ground, on the edge of dying. That's when u woke me up' I finish. Peeta just stays silent and wipes the tears from my face. Peeta and Gale are the only people that have seen me cry.

'Thank you' I tell him once the tears finished.

'For what?' he wasn't looking for praise, he genially didn't know what he does for me.

'For waking me up. For listening to me. For being here' I say. He gives me another one of his warm smiles.

'Anytime' he answers.

I feel myself start to drift off, snuggling against Peeta's chest for the second night in a row. I feel myself being pulled into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**AN: So hope you like this chap guys. I have two things that I need to say. **

**I'm going on a school camp from Monday to Thursday so my next update might be late. **

**I really want more reviews so I would like 5 reviews then I'll update my next chapter as soon as possible (I know it's really annoying when people do this but I really want to get them up)**

**Thanks for reading, until next chapter. **

**-J**


	7. Chapter 7

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! **

**I appreciate them all so much. Thanks to all the people and guest that reviewed. Sorry this is late but I had camp and couldn't write for 4 days so this one took a little longer than usual.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATER M FOR MATURE SCENES **

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks again for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 7

**Katniss's POV**

The sunlight that is shining through my window wakes me up. I remember everything that happened last night. I'm still huddled into Peeta with my head buried in his chest. I know he is awake because he is lightly stroking my hair.

This is so wrong but it feels so right. It's not like with Gale. With Gale it is different, it's like survival. Something I can't live without, something I need to get through each day. I feel something for Peeta, there is no point in denying the inevitable. Whatever it is that Peeta and I have, its nothing compared to Gale and I. but even if I can't be compared to Gale and I, there is still something there. When I kiss Gale it is like an inferno, electricity, lightening. When I kiss Peeta there is a spark, it is small but small enough to brush away.

There is no way I can push Peeta away though, we go to the same school, we sit in the same group of friends and I trade with his father. It hurts me to think of Peeta as nothing but a stranger, like something is pushing a knife in my heart. In this moment I realised I love Peeta.

But not in the way that he wants me too.

'Morning beautiful' he murmured into my hair.

'Hi' I deadpanned. I sit up, moving further away from him and he unwraps his arms from around me because it's an awkward position. He smiles at me, it quickly fades when he sees my expression. He sits up and looks at me but I can't meet his gaze. I don't think I'm going to like this conversation but it is necessary.

'Are you okay? Is something wrong?' he asks me. What's wrong is the fact that I'm in a bed with a man that is not my boyfriend, I'm confused and I'm angry at myself for overacting about the incident at the party.

'Yes, but…' I don't know how to start this.

'But?' he prompts, giving me an encouraging smile.

'I'm confused' it's now or never and he deserves better than this.

'About?' he asks.

'Us' short and simple is good I guess.

'Katniss you're going to have to be a little more specific' he frowns slightly.

'Peeta, I have a boyfriend and this is the second time in a row that I've woken up in a bed with you. This isn't the kind of person I am. I still love Gale, I'm sorry' I choke back a sob, I hate hurting the people I love.

'Katniss, don't apologize, I knew this would happened and I enjoyed it while it lasted. I can tell how much it hurts you to be away from him' as much as I want to argue with him I know he's right, I do miss Gale a lot more than I'd like to admit.

I'm not sure how to respond so I just stare at my hands and nod. He sighs.

'I better leave before my father starts to worry and before Gale gets here' he says, getting up and walking over to the door. I pull my knees up and hold them to my chest.

'Peeta' I say before he crosses the threshold and before I can think, he turns and look back at me. I don't want this to be the last time we talk; I don't want to act like he is a stranger every time I see him. He gives me an expectant look, waiting for me to talk.

'We can still be friends, right?' I say with me head leaning on my knees. He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

'Of course Katniss, I'll be whatever you need me to be' he says.

With that said he leaves, leaving me to think about his words.

**Gale's POV **

I wake up to the loud banging footsteps and squealing. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was thinking about Katniss. Trying to figure out a way to gain her trust again, the remind her of how much I love her.

My door bursts open, revealing my beautiful little sister, Posy. Her long auburn curls bouncing as she runs across the room.

'Gale! Rory's chasing me!' she squeals and jumps up on my small bed. I chuckle as she cowers into me, then my little brother (the next oldest after me), Rory runs through the door.

'Posy, give it back!' Rory yells, I see that Posy has a small leather book in her hand. I take it from her and open it.

'No!' Rory tries to snatch it back but I hold him at arm's length so that he can't reach it. I start read out loud.

'_I love her electric blue eyes and her beautiful blonde hair._ _Every time she laughs or smiles, it warms my heart.' _He pushes my hand out the way and tries to snatch it back. I stand up and hold the book over my head, still reading with a grin on my face.

'_Every time she touches me it sends electricity through my body. She smells just like the flower she was named after and is just as beautiful' _my jaw dropped. Blue eyes, blonde hair, named after a flower and a girl that Rory actually talks to. He snatches back the book while I was momentarily stunned.

'Rory, would this girl happen to be Primrose Everdeen?' I ask, my grin growing by the second.

'Yes' his face is redder than a tomato. I laugh heartily.

'I knew Rory liked Primmy!' Posy exclaimed, jumping up and down on the bed.

'Who does Rory like?' Vick said, walking into my room. Rory groans and I laugh even harder.

'This isn't funny!' he exclaims, punching me in the shoulder. My laugh dies down but I keep grinning at him.

'What?' he asks with annoyed tone.

'Nothing, It's just hard to not fall for those Everdeen girls, isn't it' he returns my grin and nods. This time Vick is laughing.

'What?' Rory and I ask at the same time.

'I'm just glad that there are two of them because that means I'm safe' he laughs walking back out the door. I chuckle.

'Both of you go get ready for school and go to Vick too' I tell Posy and Rory. Posy nods and runs out the door with Rory in tow.

I sigh and sit back down on my bed. I'm thankful for the small distraction that my family provided. Posy was only 5 years old; my mother was pregnant with her when my father died. I went days without food to ensure that she had enough to eat; I didn't want the baby to be unhealthy or under developed. Vick is eight years old but he sounds like he's 20 years old, he is a smart kid. Rory is only 13 and already he has fallen for an Everdeen.

I get dressed and walk into the kitchen where my mother is preparing breakfast.

'Good morning' she greets me.

'Morning' I say, stretching.

'We haven't got any food left, Gale, you need to go hunting soon' she informs me. My mother never exactly enjoyed the idea of me going beyond the fence but at times like this when money is short and food is scarce, it's a necessity.

'Sorry, I've been…distracted. I'll go today' I tell her.

'Distracted with Katniss?' she says probing. She doesn't mean it in a bad way, Katniss is like a daughter to her but she can tell that something's up. She is my mother after all.

'We're fighting. We went out the other night and…something happened and she's mad at me. She won't talk to me, doesn't matter how hard I try I say, running my hand through my hair.

'Well whatever happened between you two, you need to show her that you still love her and if she still loves you back then she'll forgive you. She will forgive you Gale. There is no way in the world that that girl could hate you' my mother says with a warm smile.

I think of a way to show her I still love her. I could just tell her but it needs to be special. I need a promise.

'Mum, I need your help'

(Line Break)

I walk all my siblings to school. Vick and Rory are talking about something to do with school and Posy is skipping in front of us. I drop the boys outside the gate and then walk Posy to her classroom.

My plan is set, with help of my mother of course. I'm skipping school today and I'm now heading straight to Katniss's. She should be at home, doesn't matter how sick, depressed or angry Katniss is there is no way she would let Prim walk to school by herself.

I reach her house in 5 minutes and knock on the door. I hear the almost silent padding of footsteps and the door opens, revealing her face.

'Gale' she gasps.

I'm practically about to get down on my hands and knees and beg for her forgiveness but she does something that shocks me. Instead of slamming the door in my face she flings herself into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. Without a second passing I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her tighter. I missed this. The closeness. The feeling. Her.

She pulled back but still kept her arms around my neck.

'I'm so sorry Katniss; I didn't mean to kiss her. I was drunk and she came and...' I'm babbling, _shut up Gale_, 'and I love you, no matter what happens'

'You don't need to be sorry, I overreacted. I kissed Peeta, I ran out and I didn't listen to what you had to say, I jumped to conclusions' I flinch a little when she mentions Peeta, she kissed him. I thought that he had kissed her.

'I'm so sorry. Seeing you like you were the other day, it killed me. I still love you too' she confesses. I decide that that's enough talking. My lips came crashing down on hers, I pull her closer and she tightens her grip around my neck. She opens her mouth a little more, inviting me in. I slip my tongue into her mouth and our tongues fight for dominance. After minutes we break apart for breath, I kiss her forehead and then the tip of her nose.

'Would you like to go the meadow for a picnic?' I ask, commence the first stage of my plan.

'Definitely, school will always be there tomorrow' she grins and I mimic it with one of my own.

'Let me get some food and a basket' she says, disappearing into the house for a few minutes. She returns with a basket full of food. I take the basket from her and hook her arm into mine.

It's takes about twenty minutes to get to the meadow, it's about a mile or two away. The time is making me more nervous to what I'm going to say to her. When we reach the meadow we lay down on dry patch of grass, I place the basket beside us. I chuckle when I hear Katniss's stomach growling.

'Hungry, Miss Everdeen?' I ask smugly, she blushes.

'Starving' she answers with a smile. I open the basket revealing a cake, bread, cheese buns and cheese from Prim's goat, Lady. My mouth is watering.

'Where did you get all this food?' this has to be at least a month's worth of hunting, maybe even more.

'Peeta gave it to me because I hadn't hunted in a while and we didn't have any food' she explains.

'He just gave it to you? And he didn't want anything in return?' I ask, astonished.

'Yes and nope' she says. He must be good with his words to get her to take all of this. Katniss hates owing people things and accepting gifts. That fact about her might be a bit of a roadblock for my plan.

'Where do want to start?' I ask.

'The cheese buns, they're my favourite' she says. Well, we learn something new every day. I get the buns out and pass one to her. She quick devours it before I'm half way through mine. She blushes when she notices that and I chuckle.

'Such a lady' I joke.

'Never said I was' she smirks.

'And that exactly how I like it' I say honestly. We eat some more and until there is nothing left but the cake. We let our food settle a little before we eat anything else so we lay back down on the grass. I have one hand behind my head and the other one is stroking her hair. She lays her head and a hand on my chest. We stay like this for an hour or so. It's probably just after noon which means my time is running out.

'Katniss?' I ask, maybe she asleep.

'mmm?' she mumbles back, she awake but probably just enjoying the noise of the wind whipping through the trees, the animals scurrying through the woods and the grass swaying in the wind, something that we don't experience often in District 12. Today is sunny with a few clouds and some wind so it's not overly hot. It's nice feeling the heat on our skin.

'I have something for you' I say sitting up, she follows in suit. I reach into my pants pocket and pull out my present. This is what I have been planning all day and what my mother helped me with.

I put it into the object into her hand and enclose her fingers around it. She looks at the little black velvet box and then back to me.

'Gale…' she starts, her voice cracking. I know what she thinks it is.

'Just open it' I lightly chuckle; she opens the little box and gasps.

'My father gave it to my mother when they were our age. My mother passed it down onto me a long time ago. She made me promise to never sell it, doesn't matter how badly we needed money or food' I tell her. She's still staring at it; I think she might be a bit shocked.

'It's a promise ring' I inform her. I take the ring from the box and hold it between us.

'I promise that I'll love you forever, that I will protect you, that I will make you happy and that I will take care of you. Katniss, I promise that I will do anything in my power to give you whatever you need. Love, comfort, passion, anything. I'll be whatever you need me to be. I promise.' I finish my small speech, still looking into her grey eyes. It's almost like she could see you soul. She still hasn't said anything.

'Will you wear it?' I ask. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, maybe it was too soon. But before I could start backtracking she nods. I take her left hand and slide the ring onto her ring finger. The ring was pure gold, it was a Mockingjay with an arrow in its mouth and it wrapped around her finger. There was no band, the bird just connected at the back. It was beautiful but it looked even better on her.

It's starting to worry me that she still hasn't said anything. Before I could ask if she was ok, I'm pushed back onto the grass and she climbs on top of me, straddling my waist. She leans down and kisses me on the lips. I grin and she smiles back.

'I don't know if I can take it Gale' she says.

'You can and you will' I say, not commanding but softly and firm.

'Who's going to make me?' she teases.

'I'm sure I could find a way to convince you' I look up at her, grinning.

'Gale, I really can't take this, this could feed our families for months' she says, looking at the ring.

'Katniss. Seriously, you're my girlfriend. You have to start accepting the fact that I'm going to give you presents every now and then' I tell her, tugging on her braid.

'Yeah, a gift. Like a bunch of flowers or some chocolates. Not a gold mine!' she says, frustrated.

'Katniss, it's been in my family for a long time now, it didn't cost me a cent. Think of it as a hammy-down' I say, from the look on her face I can tell that I'm slowly winning.

'But-' I roll us over so that she is underneath me. I kiss the underside of her jaw softly and then the curve of her neck.

'Gale…' she tries but I get to her soft spot on her collarbone, her reasoning turns into a moan.

'Fine, Thank you' she gives up. I wear a triumphed grin.

'Stop looking so smug' she says, rolling her eyes at me.

'Did you just roll your eyes at me, Miss Everdeen?' I ask in my best impression of Ms Trinket, our social studies teacher.

'It's good to know that you can use your eyes, Mr Hawthorne' she smirks at me.

'Oh, Miss Everdeen, you're gonna get it later' I say, devising a plan in my head. I was grinning like an idiot; this was going to be fun.

'Really, Hawthorne? I'd like to see you try' she grins back.

'All in good time, Everdeen' I remark, we both sit back up, crossing our legs and facing each other.

'C'mon lets head back, it's starting to get late' she says. Time went quickly, it was sunset.

'Can we stay and watch the sunset' I ask, she smiles.

'I'd like that' she says. I lay back on the grass and pull her with me, laying her head and playing with her hair. I pull the band holding the braid in off, untangling and letting her hair sprawl across my chest. The orang light from the sun is thrown across the meadow, it's beautiful.

'It's beautiful' Katniss says, echoing my thought.

'Just like you' I say. She chuckles and mutter something like, 'cheesy' under her breathe. She looks up at me and smiles, I grin in return. I shift my position so I'm sitting up a little and I bend down to kiss her. She leans up a bit and puts her weight on her elbows. The kiss becomes more intense and so she sits up and straddles my waist again, without breaking the kiss and relieving us of the awkward position.

I open my mouth a little more and without a beat Katniss slides her tongue in. I rest my hands on the back of her thighs and she leans on her elbows on either side of my head. I roll us over so that I'm on top of her, I start kissing the exposed skin of her collarbone. She lets out a moan and I smile against her skin. I move to the curve of her neck, lightly sucking and nibbling it. I kept moving up, kissing her skin until I reach her the corner of her lips. Being as impatient as she can be, she grabs my head and crushes our lips together.

'Shirt' is all she manages between the kissing. I bring a hang to my shirt to pull it off but she grabs it and shakes her head. She grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head, throwing it to the side. She runs her hands up my back and down my chest, it sends shivers down my spine and I can feel the hunger and lust at the pit of my stomach.

'Yours' is say. She nods, I start unbuttoning her shirt. Taking one button at a time, I slowly unbutton her shirt. Katniss starts to squirm under my gaze and she blushes.

'You're blushing' I whispered in her ear. She pushed me onto my back and straddles me….again.

'Shut up Hawthorne' she says, she starts kissing me like I did to her but not for long.

'Pants' she says, thank god! Now that I'm thinking about it my pants are being stretched to the limit and they are extremely uncomfortable. She shuffles down my body and unbuckles my belt, undoes the button and slides them down my legs, boxers and all. She stares at me and I mean _all _of me. I can feel the blood rushing to my face and I try to fight it off but it doesn't work.

'Gale, you're blushing' she whispers in my ear and smirks. I roll us over.

'Shut up Everdeen' I say, I kiss her while reaching behind her back to undo her bra, she leans forward a bit so I can get my hand behind her. I undo the clasp quickly but I slowly pull the bra off her. She leans back down on the grass and smiles.

'You're getting quicker at that' she says.

'I'm not sure I think I need some more practice' I winked at her. We were teasing each other, playful and nice. I enjoyed it. I kiss her collarbone and make a trail downwards, between her breasts, over her stomach, until I reach the waistband of her pants. I unbutton her pants and pull them off slowly. Once they're off I throw them to the side, I look at her. Savouring every inch of her skin, she becomes uncomfortable under my stare and uses her hands to cover herself.

I chuckle and shake my head. I take her arms and pin them above her head, I kiss my way down to her left breast and when I reach it I suck lightly, Katniss lets out a small moan. This is where the real teasing starts. I start I nibble and suck harder on her nipple. She arches into me and moans loudly. I roll her nipple between my thumb and forefinger on her other breast as I suck.

He moans get louder and louder and I know with a few more of the right touches, she'll come. I take my hand from her breast but keep my mouth on the other; I slowly run my hand up from her knee, to her thigh and then lightly circle her inner thigh. She whimpers.

I slowly push a finger inside of her; I slowly thrust in and out of her and move my mouth from one of her breasts to the other.

'Gale' she moans, hearing her say my name like that is such a turn on. I add another finger and increase my speed; she begins to writhe underneath me so I hand to put my hand on her stomach to hold her down. I keep going like this until I can feel her body quiver; she's close so I stop. This is the ultimate payback but she knows what I'm doing.

'Gale, please' she whimpers. Smile and move myself back. I wait a few seconds for Katniss to come down from her high so I can start over again. I kiss the inner part of her thigh and feel her shiver. I move in closer and I start to lightly suck on her clit, she moans loudly and when I do. I keep my hand on her stomach to keep her from moving. I push two fingers into her again and thrust them in and out quickly; I suck harder on her clit and use my tongue to swirl around it.

'Gale…so close' she says and with that I stop and she whimpers again.

'You're definitely ready now' I say to her. I hover over her entrance and look at her. She nods, giving me permission. I slid myself into her dripping centre; I pull out and then back in slowly. I give her some time to adjust to my size. She grabs onto my back and starts kissing me, I take that as a hint. I start trusting into her a bit faster. She throws her head back and moans. I kiss the exposed skin of her neck and should lightly. She moans louder, lust takes me over and I start thrusting harder and faster.

'Gale! Harder…faster' she moans, I go as hard and fast as I can, I know I'm going to come soon. I start to thumb Katniss's clit in quick and hard circular motions.

'Come for me Katniss' I growl and she does as I say.

'Gale!' she screams my name as she meets her release; I follow soon after shouting her name and spilling myself into her.

I pull out of her with a groan and lay beside her. We stay silent for a few minutes, catching our breath and looking at the stars.

'I missed that' she says, breaking the silence.

'Me too' I chuckle. I don't think either of us can be bothered to go back to one of our houses so I grab the picnic basket, I pull out a rug and lay it over us.

'We should really go home' she says.

'You know as well as I so that we can't be stuffed to get up and walk a mile or two back to one of our houses' I say, she grins and lays her head on my chest as I stroke her hair.

About another ten minutes later I hear her softly snoring and chuckle to myself. This turned out better than I expected, she forgave me, accepted my gift (eventually) and we made love. To me that is a win-win situation.

Before I know I my eyes start to droop and I feel sleep pulling me under.

**AN: So hope you like this chapter guys. I NEED SOME IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS! Anyone who wants to share an idea, PM me or review please. Tell me what you guys want to see in the next chapters . Sorry for any typo i didn't send it to my beta to edit cause I really just wanted to post it ASAP. Thanks!**

**I would like 5 reviews before I update next please.**

**-J**


	8. Chapter 8

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: IM SO FREAKING SORRY! I've had a lot of work lately and I'm getting ready for exams. **

**Ok, so I got a few reviews asking for different things**

**More Peeta**

**Jealous Gale**

**More lemons **

**Katniss and Peeta **

**Katniss and Gale**

**This is supposed to be a Gale and Katniss ff but I have reviewers asking for both so I will try and please both sides but it isn't always possible. Tell me if you guys want anything else…?**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks again for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 8

**Katniss's POV**

Go back and read the authors note, I know you didn't.

I woke up early, the mockingjay's singing and the crisp morning chilling me to the bone. Gale is awake; I can feel him playing with my hair mindlessly. I tilt my head up from his chest and smile at him, he smiles back.

'How long have you been awake?' I ask.

'Only about half an hour' he says.

'You should've woken me up, it's fucking freezing and we don't have any clothes on' I say, shivering. It was pretty cold and the fact that we had no clothes on probably didn't help.

He shrugs, 'Survival 101' he smirks, pulling me closer to his body, I chuckle.

'What time is it?'

'I dunno' he looks up at the sun that was hardly there, the light was still dim, 'probably around 5.30ish? We usually get up earlier than this when we hunt though'

'You wore me out' I grinned.

'Would you like me to stop wearing you out?' he cocked an eyebrow, smirking.

'No, no, it's okay, I like being worn out' I said and he chuckles.

'Good, you better save your energy then' he winked, still smirking; I could feel the blood rise to my cheeks, making Gale's smirk turn into a grin.

'C'mon let's get dressed, we need to have a good hunt this morning, I don't know about you but I have no food left' he says. We sit up and get dressed quickly, heading towards our woods.

We crawl under the fence after we packed up. We run through the woods, Gale is carrying the basket but it doesn't seem to affect him in the slightest. We run a few hundred metres until we reach where our weapons are hidden in a hollow log. We pull our bows and sheath of arrows out, slinging them over our shoulders. Gale puts the basket in the log, leaving it there until we get back.

We run deeper into the woods, in full hunter mode. Our steps are quiet, not scaring any game away. When we get future away from the fence and the noise coming from District 12 we slow down and walk. We both notch an arrow, separating metres apart. I hear a stick snap and turn to the noise. A large buck is there, grazing on some grass, this is one of the biggest I've seen in years. We'd get good money from selling it or it would last us a few days of food before it went rotten.

I pull the string back on my arrow and breathe; I aim for the buck's eye. When I have the right angle I let the arrow fly. The arrow embeds itself in the buck's eye but at the same time another arrow sinks into its temple.

I turn to Gale, who is a few metres away from me and grin. He grins back.

'I always thought we worked better as a team' he says and winks at me, I roll my eyes in return. We walk over to our kill and look at each other, thinking the same thing.

'How the hell are we going to carry that all the way back to the Hob?' I ask the unspoken question. Gale thinks for a moment before speaking.

'I think I can carry it' he says. The animal has to be at least the same weight as Gale, if not more/

'Gale that thing will weight a ton, you'll put out your back or neck' I say.

'No I think I can do it' he says, just like me he is stubborn and proud. He doesn't like the fact that he'll need help, especially if its strength related. We might be from the seam and not get enough to eat but Gale is far from scrawny. He was when I first met him but when he had to step up to the role of providing for his family, he filled out. Carrying game, wood and other items from to woods, to the house or to the Hob, it helped him grow muscle wise.

'I thought you said we work better together' I use his own words against him.

'We do Catnip but I can do it, honestly it'll be fine' he says.

Gale has wide set shoulders, huge biceps, muscular abs and strong legs. When our fathers died we had to grow up and mature quicker than anyone else that was our age, seam, merchant or otherwise. We had to be responsible and wise with what we did. There really was no childhood for us.

Gale bends down grabbing the torso of the animal and throwing it over his shoulder with a grunt. I take his bow and arrow from him, earning a glare from him. I put the extra weapons over my shoulder and we start to walk back.

I shoot six rabbit and four squirrels on the way back. We get to the hollow log and stash our weapons until next time, it take out the basket and we walk the next couple hundred metres to the fence.

Gale was struggling, I could see it. He was sweating and breathing heavily, I could even see his muscles straining and tiring through the thin cotton of his shirt.

We get to the fence and Gale dumps the buck to the side with another grunt and crawls under the fence. I put the basket under the fence and he grabs it, putting it to the side. I grab the buck and pull it to the fence, putting the legs and head through the other side. From the other side Gale grabs the legs and pulls the buck through fully. Once the buck is through I crawl under the fence and grab the basket while he throws the animal over his shoulder once more.

We walk to the Hob, sticking to the backstreets of town in case Thread sees us. The walk is only short thank god. As we pass the few people the see us stare at our buck hungrily, most of these people are small seam kids, probably starving. I feel sorry for them, I feel an urge to help but I have my own family to worry about. Enough mouths to feed.

We walk into the Hob but not before checking the coast is clear of Thread. We walk to Rooba, the butcher in the Hob. Gale dumps the buck on the bench, she looks up from the fresh meat she was skinning and grins.

'Very nice haul today' she comments. Gale and Rooba haggle for a price that they are both happy with. While they do that I walk over to Greasy Sae's stand. We aren't going to sell any of the small game that I shot on the way back because we have should have a fair amount of money from the buck. So I just mindlessly talk to her until Gale walks back over to me.

I say good bye to Greasy Sae and we leave the Hob. I hand Gale his half of the game and he hands me the money from the sale he made. It's a lot more than I was expecting.

'Gale, how much did you sell that buck for' I ask.

He shrugs, 'look at what you got and double it' he says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

'You did get the same amount as me, didn't you?' I ask, I swear to god if he gave me more money than what he got, I will kick him.

'Katniss, I got exactly the same as you did. I wouldn't want to start another fight after we just got over one' he says, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. I lightly punch his arm and he chuckles.

'Do we have to go to school?' Gale whines like a five year old once we reach my house.

'Yes Gale, we didn't go yesterday' I chuckle.

'I'd rather spend the day with you though' he smiles at me.

'I'm in all your classes remember, you made sure that' I laughed at the memory.

'Fine' he huffed.

'Go home, clean up and get ready, we'll feed and then take the kids to school and I'll meet you outside the gate' I say.

'Ok' he nods. He leans down and I lean up to him, he kisses me delicately while putting his hands around my waist and I throw mine around his neck, deepening the kiss. He pulls back to soon though and smiles at me.

'I've missed that' he sighs, happily and contently.

'Me too' I smile.

'Never again, I swear to god I don't think I could handle it' he says, you could hear the raw emotion in his voice.

'You don't have to' I say and meaning every word. I pull him down for a soft kiss, I lean back, not letting it last too long.

'I'll see you in a bit' he says, pecking me on the lips. I smile as I watch him walk down the pathway towards his house. I turn and walk into my house. Prim isn't in the kitchen or the lounge room. I start a fire and then go and skin a rabbit in the kitchen. Once I'm done I go and put the rabbit over the fire before going to wake up Prim.

I walk down the small hallway into her room which was once mine before our parents left. I knock on the door and wait for a few moments before letting myself in. Prim is sound asleep, I sit on her bed and gently wake her.

'Prim, Prim it's time to get up' she slowly pry's her eyes open and looks at me.

'Good morning' I say

'Morning' she replies. She sits up and stretches, her cheeks are as red as a tomato.

'Are you hot?' I ask a little confused.

'Ugh what? Why?' she asks, probably as confused as me.

'Your cheeks are really red' I say, she still looks confused.

'Uh doesn't matter. C'mon, get dressed and I'll get breakfast ready' I say, shrugging off the confusion. I walk back down the hall to check on the rabbit.

**Prim's POV **

That was so close. Hopefully Katniss doesn't think anything of my flushed cheeks. I hate how I blush so easily. I think I was convincing enough. I hope that she doesn't see him running home either. If she knew what was going on she'd kill me. I don't like lying to her but I think it's better to ease her into it rather than giving her the straight up truth.

I quickly get dressed and walk down towards to smell of breakfast.

**Katniss's POV **

Prim walks into the kitchen just as I finish preparing the rabbit. I've never been a good cook the only think I can cook without burning is meat. Prim usually does that rest when it comes to other food. We eat our breakfast quickly and clean up. I get everything I need for the say but I see Prim staring at me with a strange and confused look.

'Katniss?' she asks.

'Yeah?'

'What is that?' her confused face turning into a humongous grin. I look to where she is pointing. She's pointing at my Mockingjay promise ring. Oh shit, I should've known people were going to think that Gale and I were engaged.

'It's a promise ring, Gale gave it to me' I say, she looks a little disappointed.

'So it's not-' she starts.

'No, no way' I say quickly interrupting her.

'I guess you two made up then' she states.

'Sure did' I smile. Should I take of the ring? I don't want to hurt Gale's feelings but I don't want everyone in the school thinking I'm married.

'Don't take it off, it'll hurt him more than you think and more than he'll let on' Prim says, it's like she read my thoughts. I decide that Gale takes priority over everyone else.

'C'mon, better get going or we'll be late' I say and with that we're out the door.

(Line Break)

'Hey' I said, walking up to Gale who casually throws an arm around my shoulder. We walk into the school gates and to our lockers. I open mine and get out my books while he casually leans beside me. He has his thinking face on.

'What are you thinking about?' I ask.

'Not much. I came home and went to go tell the kids to get ready but Rory wasn't in his room. I looked around the house and outside and he wasn't there, so I went to check on the other kids and I heard a noise in his room. I opened the door and he was there, he climbed through the window. I asked where he was and he just said he was doing some late minute choirs. I asked why he didn't come through the front door and he said he climbed through the window in case we were still asleep and didn't want to wake us up' Gale explains.  
Prim's flushed cheeks, Rory sneaking out and back. Suspicious. I decide to see how things go, just in case my thoughts are wrong.

'I'm sure he was just doing as he said' I say and to my surprise it actually turns out convincing.

'Yeah, probably' Gale says.

'Social studies?' Gale says, offering his hand.

'Uh do we have to?' I complain but still take his hand.

'Now remember Miss Everdeen, manners' he says, impersonating Ms Trinket. I laugh and shake my head.

We enter the classroom and take our usual seats. Madge, Quinn, Finnick and Peeta are in our class and we all sit at the same table too. Madge is talking to me about some new dress that she got but I'm not really listening, the boys are joking around about Truth or Dare a few nights ago but Peeta is quietly sketching in his book.

'Quinn's dare was priceless' Finnick chuckled.

'What dare?' Quinn asks. Apparently Quinn doesn't remember jack shit from that night, not even the part when he ran into town naked.

'Do you remember anything from the other night?' Gale chuckles.

'Nah, I was so wasted' he laughs.

'Apparently' Madge mutters under her breath, I giggle.

'Will someone enlighten me?' Quinn asks.

'Rue dared you to do a nudie run through town and you happily obliged' I say a little disgusted.

'Aw c'mon Katniss, you can't tell me you didn't look'

'Nope' I say popping the 'p'.

'No even a little?' I ask in an innocent voice, I laugh.

'No Quinn. Even if I did, would you really want to deal with Gale?' I taunt.

'Are you kidding me? I could take him on anytime and anyplace' he boasts. Quinn and Gale are around the same build, Gale is a little taller and Quinn is a little broader.

'Yea right, you wouldn't last a minute' Gale scoffs.

'You wanna bet?' Quinn challenges.

'Yeah, actually I do' Gale retorts.

'Righto, how should we settle this?' Quinn asks.

'Arm wrestle?' Madge asks.

'Ok, at lunch. The winner gets whatever they want, absolutely anything, no arguments.' Finnick pipes in.

'Deal'

'Deal' they shake hands and Gale grins at me. I roll my eyes at him. Ms Trinket walks into the classroom and tells us to quiet down. Gale sits next to me on the side of the tables and Madge is across from me sitting next to Quinn. Peeta and Finnick are sitting at the top of the table.

Ms Trinket gives us work to do and says that when can talk as long as we finish the sheet she gave us. Gale and I got through the work sheet quickly as the others trailed along.

'Catnip?' Gale asks.

'Yeah?' I say, looking up from my book.

'Do remember English?' he asks.

'Yeah, what ab- Gale don't you dare' I growl at him, he chuckles and puts his hand on my thigh.

'I'm serious Gale, I will deprive you' I say seriously.

'Of what?' he says in a teasing tone, his hand is slowly sliding up .

'Sex and kissing' I say confidently, his hand stops in its tracks.

'You wouldn't' he says.

'I would' a grin appearing on my face

'You wouldn't last the rest of the day without kissing me' he scoffs

'You wanna bet?' I challenge, raising my eyebrows.

'Yeah I do' he retorts.

'Ok then, we can kiss or and thing further than that for the rest of the day. We can tease and provoke but whoever cracks first will give the other person the same things as you and Quinn's bet, anything they want. No buts, no excuses, anything' I say

'Righto then, starting now' he declares. I grin at him and he smirks at me.

Right then the bell goes for the next period, English. This is going to be hell.

We get to class and surprisingly Gale doesn't try anything, the class goes by quickly. Its killing me, not knowing what's he going to do and when. He gives a few smirks and grins from time to time until lunch.

I'm at my locker and I see him walking towards me, I put my books away and close my locker. He takes my hands and pins them to the locker wall, he's leaning over me, and I can smell his sweet scent washing over me. His stormy grey eyes boring into mine, his olive skin shining. My eyes fall onto his full, soft pink lips, the only thing I wanted to do was to attack them with my own. He sees me staring at his lips and smirks.

'Temped Catnip?' he teases. I hear a few wolf-whistles (which was probably Quinn and Finnick), some shy giggles and some whispers.

I can't find any words so I just shake my head. When he gets the response from me he presses our bodies closer together, I can feel his heat through the thin cotton of our shirts.

'Are you sure?' he whispers, his lips only a centimetre away from mine but it felt like a mile. I shake my head again. He leans in closer and I think I've won, that he's given up but just before our lips touch he steps away.

'Okay then' he says, grinning. He starts walking down the hallway; I just stand there, captivated. He turns around and looks at me, he grins.

'You coming?' he ask, I nod and start following. I hear a few people around us chuckles. We get our food and sit down at our normal table, our friends talking around us about different things, date, weekends, homework and classes. Stuff like that. But now it's time to get my revenge.

Gale is talking to Quinn about their bet and going into details. I comfortably lay my hand on his knee; he turns smiles at me and puts his arm around the back of my chair before going back to his conversation. I very slowly start moving my hand upwards, he doesn't seem to notice. I pretend to be listening to convo with Madge and Annie. I feel Gale freeze when my hand is a few mere centimetres from the notch of his pants.

Finnick is trying to get Gale's attention, snapping his fingers in front of Gale.

'Sorry what was that Finnick?' Gale asks.

'I asked if you were doing anything this weekend, we were thinking of a movie night' Finnick says. My hand is now on Gale groin and it takes everything I have to not burst out laughing.

'Gale? You ok?' I ask innocently, he gives me a warning glare.

'Yeah, fine' he swallows. I start rubbing small circles and I feel him harden beneath me. The bell goes for our next class and everyone gets up and starts walking, everyone except Gale.

'You coming babe?' I ask, winking at him.

'Yeah, go ahead; I'll catch up in a minute' he says. I nod and grin at him. I start walking to class with Annie and Quinn. Quinn nudges me with his elbow and I raise an eyebrow in questioning.

'Nice' he chuckles.

'Thanks, it's more fun than you'd think' I grin.

'Trust me, I know' I roll my eyes at him. We walk into class and a few minutes after we're seated Gale walks in; the bulge I created has disappeared. Gale sat down next to me and gave me a glare but it wasn't serious because he was fighting off a smile.

The rest of the day goes by quickly and before I know it we're waiting outside the school gate, waiting for Prim and Rory. We're there only shortly before both the kids show up.

'Hey guys' they both say.

'Hey' I say back.

'Katniss, can I go over to Rory's? We have an assignment we have to get done' she asks.

'Yeah, sure but be home before dinner' I agree.

'Ok, thanks' she says and with that, they leave.

Gale and I walk hand in hand to my house; there isn't anyone there so it's a bit of privacy. We get to my house and Gale sweeps me into his arms. He hitches my legs around his waist and I link my arms around his neck, I giggle. He kisses me passionately; I feel his tongue on my bottom lips as it gently caresses it.

I lean back and smile in triumph.

'I win' I state.

'I never thought losing could be that good' he says with a little chuckle.

'C'mon lets go inside' I say, winking at him.

'Absolutely' he winks back and raises his eyebrows suggestively, I giggle again. Uh, Gale has changed me, I can't remember one time before I met him that I'd ever giggled.

We walk into my house and into the kitchen; I look up and stop dead in my tracks. Gale bumps into me but freezes when he sees what I'm looking at.

'Hello, it's been a long time' I'm speechless. How can they have the nerve to show their sorry face in this fucking district? I don't say anything, I'm seething. Gale breaks the silence.

'Mrs Everdeen'

READ AUTHORS NOTE, FREAKING IMPORTANT.

**AN: cliffy! Ok so I'm on holidays right now and I'm leaving tomorrow to stay with my cousin at her farm. I won't have my laptop for at least 10 days so I won't be able to write. As soon as I get I'll start writing though. **

**PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON THIS STORY! I means so much to me when people review and thanks to all those people who have reviewed, guests or otherwise. **

**I want 5 reviews before I next update please! **

**-J **


	9. Chapter 9

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: IM BACK! So sorry it took so long, I had a great holiday and I did do a bit of writing but I've been busy since I got back a few days ago so here's your chapter. Thanks for waiting so long, the next update will be sooner. **

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please and if want to say something bad or insult me or the story at least have the decency to do it on your account not on guest. Thanks again for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 9

_**Previously **_

_Gale breaks the silence. _

'_Mrs Everdeen' _

**Katniss's POV**

'What the _hell_ are you doing here?' I growl at her. Gale puts an arm around my waist and right now that is the only thing restraining me from tearing my own mother to shreds.

'I came back home' she answers softly, fury boils over me.

'Do you really think that you can leave your only two daughters to starve to death and then come back because you're feeling better? Did you really think that you'd be welcome back here with open arms?!' I scream at her.

She looks different from the last time I saw her, many years ago. Last time she looked like every bit of life she had left had gone; she was just a shell of someone who used to be my mother. Now her blonde hair shows a few streaks of grey through it, her blue eyes have an unusual spark in them. The last time I saw that was when my father was still alive.

'This is still my home' she insists. How the _fuck _can she actually think that?! We've been in the same room for a couple minutes and we are already fighting. Well actually I'm the one doing most of the fighting.

'No, it's not. Not anymore. You lost that right when you left us to _rot_' I spit at her. She seems calm and prepared nothing like I was expecting her to be. Maybe she prepared herself for my inevitable fury.

'I'm sorry for that. I was depressed and I didn't fully understand what I was doing. I never meant to leave you. I really didn't, you have to believe me' she pleads.

I love your father so much and when I thought he was dead it ripped my heart into shreds' she adds, a silent tear sliding down her cheek.

'It's going to take a lot more than an apology to fix what you did to us' I say frustrated.

'Should I go?' Gale asks quietly, whispering into my hair.

'No you're family too and the only thing restraining me right now' I say forcefully, never looking away from the women in front of me. He tightens his grip on waist when he receives my answer. He's the only thing restraining me from the full blown anger, the tears, everything.

'Gale? Gale Hawthorne? Is that really you?' my mother asks curiously.

'How do you know who I am?' Gale asks wearing a confused expression that I'm sure has appeared on my face as well. Gale has seen my mother before but when we became friends my mother was in depression, she didn't remember who he was. That was years ago as well, we're older and different since the last time she saw us. If she even remembers…

'My husband and your father used to work in the mines together. Your father was a good man. I used to be friends with you mother' she smiles fondly at the memories. This is strange; whenever my father was mention she would crawl back into her little shell and just completely shut off.

'Why are you like this?' I ask, something is going on and I'm not liking it.

'Like what?' she asks confused.

'Almost… happy' I say searching for the right word, 'You're smiling and you don't look like the life has been drained out of you. You're not just a shell anymore like when you were depressed' I accuse her.

'I have a wonderful reason for that and you'll find out everything tomorrow. Tomorrow we can start over, together' she talks cryptically.

'You think that you can just hit a redo button and everything is forgotten and forgiven?!' I yell at her.

'No but you may have a different opinion tomorrow, everything will change, everything will be better' she says.

'So you're actually planning on staying this time?' I scoff, Gale gives me a warning squeeze, I know I'm being disrespectful and that's not how my father raised me but right now I couldn't care less, she has no right to be doing any of this.

'Yes, I am' she says firmly.

'Well I hope you weren't planning on staying here. I don't want you in _my _house' I say firmly too.

'I expected as much. I will be staying with a friend' she gave a sad smile. She looked Gale's arm wrapped around my waist and my hands covering his. She looks like she is trying to swallow a cow and her eyebrows are knitted together.

'What?' I bark at her.

'When you said Gale was family…you're married?' she asks, pointing to my Mockingjay ring, I'm surprised no one at school has noticed it now that I think about it. I smile briefly at the memories that come with the ring and my memories with Gale but the smile disappears as quickly as it comes. My mother always had something against young marriage and relationships, I never knew why and I never really cared before but I know it's going to get on my nerves.

'No' I say sternly.

'Engaged?' she probes.

'So what if I am?' I demand. What I do or what I have done is none of her business anymore.

'Because you're my daughter and I'd like to know if I have a son-in-law or one soon to be' she reasons, before I could answer someone comes through the door.

'Katniss? Gale?' Prim calls out.

'In here' I say in a strained voice.

'Are you ok? You sound-' she cuts off when she enters the room. She sees our mother and is rooted to the spot. I can see the tears fill her eyes and then slowly roll down her cheeks.

'Primrose?' my mother beams at the sight of her youngest daughter.

'Mother? Is that really you?' Prim says in a wobbly voice, she finds it as unbelieve as I did.

'Yes dear, I'm back for good now' she says and with that said Prim runs into her arms and they engulf each other in a hug. Gale kisses the top of my head, a small reminder that he's still here for me.

We stand there for a while, Gale and I. Prim is talking to my mother, catching her up on what she missed after she left us. I lean back into Gale, resting my head on his shoulder and sigh. I'm tired of this, of what I have to deal with each day. It's almost like once I get over something life just throws another roadblock in front of me and laughs. He kisses the top of my head again and I squeeze his arms in response.

After a while of Prim speaking to my mother, I decide to speak up.

'I think you need to leave _now_. It's getting dark' I say in a stern voice, letting her know that she has no other choice.

'Yes I should' she says, knowing my hidden warning.

Prim shoots me a glare, 'But we only just got you back' she whines, 'I thought you said you were saying' she adds sadly.

'Yes darling, I'm leaving but I will be staying at a friend's house here, in the District' Prim hugs her before she's at the door ready to leave.

'Goodbye Primrose, Katniss' she says before leaving.

'Bye' Prims says, I don't say anything and with that she walks out the door but this time she will be coming back.

(Line break)

Gale cooks dinner for us, I don't argue I just let him. I'm too tired. Besides I think he wants me to relax a bit, the past few days have been a bit hectic. He sets the food out on the table and we begin eating in silence until Prim speaks.

'Why couldn't mother stay here?' she asks, looking up at me from her plate.

'A lot of reasons Prim' I say, not really wanting to talk about it.

'Like what?' she questions

'You know what I think about the situation' I skirt around her question.

'No actually I don't' she says frustrated, she puts down her cutlery; leans back in the chair and crosses her arms. She is starting to act like a teenager.

'Forgiveness and trust need to be earned Prim, not just given out freely. She broke my trust so she needs to earn it back and I'm not just going to forgive her because she's feeling better and happier' with that said the rest of dinner is finished in silence. I know Prim would forgive anyone in a heartbeat when they apologized to her, just like she did with our mother. I can feel Gale giving me some worried glances but whenever I met them with my own I just shake my head a go back to finishing my dinner.

'I'm going to bed' Prim announces.

'Night' I say

'Night' Gale echoes me. She disappears down the hall and I hear her door shut.

We stand up and start clearing the table, I start the washing up and feel Gale's arms wrap around my waist and his chin resting on the top of my head. I put the dish down, sigh and lean back into him.

'I'm really not in the mood for a lecture' I say flatly and tiredly. I just feel him shake his head. We stay there for a little while longer, in comfortable silence. All I can hear are the bugs buzzing outside and the animals scurrying in the bushes. I know Gale has something to say to me but I think he is trying to find the right words.

'Don't you think that maybe you were just a little harsh?' he asks, talking into my hair.

'No, I don't. You know what she did to us' I state.

'Yes but neither you nor Prim have seen her for years' he reasons.

'Then a few more days or weeks won't make a difference' I say a-matter-of-factly. He doesn't say anything but he tightens his grip a little, pulling me closer to him. I know that he doesn't agree with me. Family means everything to him, just as it does to me but as far as I'm concerned my mother is blood but not family. Family wouldn't do that to each other. They wouldn't do what she did to us

'I just think that she's been gone for so long and when she finally comes home you push her away again' he finally says softly.

'You know why I can't just let her back in. she left us, that was her choice and this is mine. Sometimes an apology just doesn't cut it' I state.

'We both know why she did what she did though; she really loved your father. I know that if anything happened to you or if I lost you I would be in exactly the same state' he whispers the part about losing me, almost like he's trying to push the thought away.

'Me too but I would want you to move on and be happy again' I say sincerely, it's late and I don't want to argue about my mother.

'Same with me but I know I couldn't ever be happy if again if something happened to you' he says.

'We all have to die sometime Gale, it's inevitable. It's the only thing in life you can guarantee' I say truthfully.

'Promise me that it won't be anytime soon' he says, it makes me smile.

'I'll try' I say, you never know what will happen, I could be in some freak accident.

He turns me around in his arms, so that I'm facing him. He kisses me softly but sweetly, he pulls away and a large grin appears on his face.

'What's with the grin?' I ask curiously, smiling a little myself.

'You didn't deny it when she asked if we were engaged' he says smugly.

'Maybe it was because I liked the thought of it' I admit. His whole face lights up at the chance of me giving into the whole marriage ban, he looks like a little child in a candy store.

'Really?' he asks in disbelief.

'One day' I give in. I can see myself there with him, I never could before. He picks me up and twirls me around, I giggle. Gale makes me happy. He's the only one that has made me feel this happy, apart from Prim but that's a sibling love. He's loved me, cared for me, helped me and protected me. I could go on forever because I know there's no limit for what we would do to each other. I internally cringe; I'm starting to sound like the girls at my school.

'Ok, ok, you can put me down now' I say, still giggling. He puts me down and gives me a breath taking grin; I can feel the smile on his face. His mood is infectious.

'Soon. One day very soon' he says, I chuckle softly.

'What?' he questions my chuckle.

'You're just so eager' I tell him.  
'Why wouldn't I be excited about marrying the girl of my dreams?' he says, still beaming.

'Calm down, we're not getting married yet-' I start.

'Yet' he interrupts and reminds me.

'How are you so sure that I will even say yes?' I ask him, smirking.

'Because you love me and if that's not good enough then I'm sure I could find a way to persuade you' he grins, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, I laugh. I think Finnick and Quinn are starting to rub off on him.

'Oh really? And how would you do that?' I tease him, resting my hands on his chest.

'I think I know a way' he says seductively. He leans down and I push up using my hands on the edge of the sink behind me. He kisses me sweetly but unfortunately he pulls away quickly. I pout which makes him chuckle.

'Can you stay tonight?' I ask, batting my eyelashes.

'Well, I dunno' he says, tapping his finger on his chin, pretending to think.

'Well then, maybe I can persuade you?' I say as seductively as I can possibly manage, running my finger down the middle of his chest and biting my lip. I hear his breath hitch; I let a sly grin crawl onto my face. It really never gets old, the things I can do to him.

I stand on my toes and peck him on the lips; he gives me the puppy dog eyes.

'Did you really just get me excited and leave me with a measly peck' he asks, looking innocent and child-like.

I roll my eyes and kiss him properly and more passionately. He runs his tongue along my bottom lip and I open my mouth a bit, letting him in. He lifts me up and sits me on the kitchen bench as I snake my arms around his neck. I feel his tongue caressing the inside of my cheeks (AN: suggested by Guest, thanks!) but he pulls away too soon.

'You want to go to bed before we go too far?' I pout at his question; this has been the best part of my day.

'Fine but rain check?' I ask, biting my lip.

'Definitely' he grins; I hop off the kitchen bench and walk down the hall, I hear Gale following behind me. I get to Prim's room and silently open the door. She's curled into a ball with her back to me, she's asleep. I close the door and head to my room.

Gale is already on the bed, in all his glory but to my dismay he has his boxers on. I strip down and put on my pyjamas, I can practically feel Gale staring at me.

'Take a picture it'll last longer' I say sarcastically.

'I would love to but unfortunately I don't own a camera' he says smugly. I turn around and see him propped up against the headboard with his hands behind his head.

'Comfortable?' I ask again sarcastically.

'Totally' he grins at me.

'Come here' he says, patting the space on the bed beside him. I walk over ad we both climb under the covers. He drapes an arm over my waist and entwines our legs together; I have my hands on his chest.

'You changed me' I say out of nowhere but it's true, he did.

'How?' he looks down at me, with an expression telling me he is little worried.

'I'd never be here now, I wouldn't be in bed with someone; I told myself that I wouldn't love anyone, that love was a weakness, something for children. You changed me' I tell him.

'So I changed you for thoughts on love?' he asks, trying to clear it up.

'Yes, you made me more open minded. I'm not as mean and cruel as I used to be. I have to admit it is nicer' I say. Gale used to be my only friend back then, when I had cut myself off from the social world but now it's different.

'So I changed you for the better?' he probes. I can almost feel the proudness and smugness radiating off him.

'Don't flatter yourself Snare Boy but yes, you could say that' I say casually. I can feel him grinning against my hair. A few silent minutes of silence pass between us and I almost think he's asleep.

'For the record, you were never mean or cruel' he says. I lift my head up and look at him; I can see his face in the moonlight that is streaming through my window. I raise my eyebrows and give him the "are you kidding me" look. I know he saw me because he chuckles lightly.

'Ok, you weren't the happiest and most cheerful person I'd ever seen' he says, I smile and bury my head back in his chest. I close my eyes and sleep has almost taken me over but I hear a loud thud coming from Prims room. I snap my head up and look at Gale with an alarmed expression and he's looking down at me with wide eyes. We both know.

There is an intruder in my house.

We both get up off the bed silently; we're in hunting mode now. Gale grabs the bat from behind the door and I grab the bow and arrows that I had made from the closet. We silently pad down the hall; it hasn't been long since we heard the first noise. With our hunter hearing we can hear some rustling coming from Prim's room, I'm becoming more and more alarmed for the safety of my baby sister.

Gale sees my panicking expression and gestures me to calm down, I take some deep breaths. He points to Prim's room and gives me some hand gestures for me to open the door while he goes in. I offer him the bow and arrows but he declines, he can do more damage with a bat than I can anyway. The bow and arrows are more for long distance anyway.

Gale positions himself outside the door with the bat raised. I grab the handle and look at him, he nods. I mouth a countdown.

One.

Two.

Three.

I turn the handle and forcefully push the door open. Gale charges in, ready to take down whoever isn't Prim but…Prim is there…on the bed…with Rory Hawthorne…making out.

'PRIMROSE EVERDEEN!' I yell, Prim is only just about to turn thirteen. They ripped apart when we burst through the door and now

'RORY HAWTHORNE' Gale bellows beside me, he's red with frustration and anger and I'm not far off either. Rory has just turned thirteen a few months ago.

**Prim's POV **

Busted.

**Rory's POV**

Shit.

**Katniss's POV**

'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!' Gale shouts.

'I-I-um-we-um' Prim stutters, I'm starting to cool down a tiny bit but just a tiny bit.

'Ok let's start with an easier question, how long has this been going on for?' I ask as calmly as possible.

'A few weeks' Rory says.

'Is this where you've been when you said you were doing jobs?' Gale asks Rory.

'Most of the time, yes' he admits.

'Go home, now. We'll talk about this later' Gale commands, he so sexy when he takes control. I look at him with lust and before I could look away he catches my gaze and gives a little knowing smirk. I shake the thoughts out of my head and focus on the situation.

**Gale's POV (sorry about the switching)**

'Prim go to sleep. We'll talk about this later too' Katniss says, they both nod, knowing that they're in no position to argue. Rory leaves the house but not before he gives Prim a reassuring smile. Prim crawls under the covers and closes her eyes, Katniss rolls her eyes and then looks at me.

I closes Prim's door, grab her hand and lead her back into the bedroom. I close the door behind us and push her onto the bed, gently but firmly and climb on top of her.

'I saw the way you looked at me' I say huskily and seductively, I smirk when I feel her squeeze her legs together.

'You're sexy when you take control' she confesses. I lean in closer so that our lips are almost touching.

'Then maybe I'll have to do it more often' I kiss her deeply and passionately, she kisses me back with the same intensity. I know we won't to go all the way tonight; we're both tired from today's events and this is just relaxing a little. I slide my hands up underneath her shirt and they rest on her waist, she encircles her arms around my neck.

'Rain check?' I repeat her words from earlier. I can see that she is disappointed but she doesn't say anything about it.

'Definitely' she smiles at me and I return it.

She snuggles into my chest; I put my arms around her waist protectively and pull her closer. She puts her hands on my chest and entwines our legs, I smile. Then we let sleep take us over.

(Line break)

I wake up early the next morning and decide that I need to go home to get the kids ready and have a shower and get changed. I get up and put my shoes on. I find a piece of paper and a pen and write Katniss a letter.

I fold the paper and put it on my side of the bed. I lean down and give her a kiss on the forehead, she may be asleep but a small smile grows on her face. I go down stairs, get my stuff and leave.

**Katniss's POV**

I wake up the next morning and it feels cold. I grope the sheets for Gale but I can't find him, my finger come along something firm and light. A piece of paper. I sit up and read the letter.

_Dear Catnip, _

_Sorry I couldn't stay with you this morning. I needed to get home and get the kids ready and change into some fresh clothes. I hope you had a nice sleep. I'll meet you at your locker at school. Miss you already, I love you. _

_Your love, _

_Gale_

I roll my eyes at my nickname; I never liked it but for some reason it just stuck. I get out of bed and get dressed. When I get down stairs Prim is already there, she looks guilty as hell but I give her the 'we'll talk about it later' look. We don't have time to do it now.

'Breakfast?' I ask her.

'No thanks, I've already eaten' she replies. I nod and fix myself a quick breakfast, scarfing it down quickly. I grab my bag as she waits at the door.

'Come on, let's go' I say. The walk to school is very quick but silent. I drop Prim off and make my way to my locker, I see Gale waiting there for me, I smile at him but he doesn't smile back.

He looks angry, very angry. Is it about Rory and Prim? I start walking faster, wanting to help him.

'Gale?' I ask when I reach him. He doesn't say anything he just stares at me. He's furious about something, he looks like he needs to punch something…or someone. His chest is falling and rising dramatically, he's taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

'Gale, what's wrong? Talk to me' I say, I reach out to put my hand on his arm comfortably but he flinches away from me. I feel my eyebrows knit together, I'm so confused. When he looks like he has gained enough control to speak, he does.

'You slept with Mellark'

_Shit._

**AN: cliffy!...again. Hope you guys liked this chapter, took me a while I know but the next update will be sooner. Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to review on your way out!**

**What was Mrs Everdeen talking about? What is her reason for coming out of depression?**

**How is Katniss going to explain to Gale about Peeta? Leave me your thoughts and questions!**

**It means so much to me when people review and thanks to all those people who have reviewed, guests or otherwise. **

**I want 6 reviews before I next update please! **

**-J **


	10. Chapter 10

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: sorry it took so long; I have exams and have been studying. I have exams next week and won't be able to update until their done, if I do update they will only be about 1000 words, I'll update after exams and they will become more frequent because the rest of the year is a bludge, woo!**

**Thanks to: ****crackbaby123, KMloveya, Frenchie121 (my beta), Fictiongal232, Dramione-Fan 17, tphammy, CatnipGirlOnFire, bchampagne and all guest for reviewing!**

**WOO 50 REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! : D**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

Chapter 10

_**Previously (^^ read authors note)**_

'You slept with Mellark'

_Shit._

**Katniss's POV**

Gale's words ring through the halls of the school…and my ears. I know he thinks I slept with Peeta…as in…like…sex but sleeping was all we did.

'You weren't supposed to know' the words left my mouth before I could think about it. I mentally hit myself, _cause he's going to react act so well to that Katniss_.

'You're not even denying it. What, you weren't even going to tell me?!' he fumes. We're starting to attract attention, people are whispering and crowding around.

'No-Gale-you-that came out wrong' I start. This is all going downhill. Gale has always had a hot-heat, just like me but we've been fighting and accusing each other all week and its getting tiring.

'You're damn right that came out wrong' he spits at me. I lower my head and look at my shoes, sometimes I just need to keep my mouth shut or actually filter what I'm saying before I say it.

'When and how many times?' he asks when he realises I'm not going to say anything.

'Twice. During when we were fighting and after the party' I say, honesty is the best policy I guess.

'So you cheated on me _twice_ and expected me to never find out or even tell the truth?' he seethes, I really could get to the truth quicker sometimes.

'Gale-'I start.

'The only thing stopping me from snapping his neck is the fact that I can't find him' Gale snarls.

'Gale, calm the fuck down. All we did was sleep, we didn't kiss and we didn't have sex. After the party Peeta found me in the alleyway behind the bakery, he carried me inside and gave me warm clothes and food' I say.

'And he just happened to have to sleep in the same bed as you?' he scoffs.

'The second time he was walking around at night and heard my screams from my nightmares. He woke me up and comforted me when I needed it.' I continue, ignoring his stupid questions.

'That doesn't give him an excuse or the right to sleep in the same bed as my _girlfriend_' he growls, frustrated.

'How the hell did you even find out?'

'Marissa told me. She said that after the party when she was going home in town you were huddled outside the bakery and _he_ brought you in. she said that she saw you walk out late in the morning, wearing _his _clothes' the way he talked about Peeta, you could believe that he was the devil himself.

'Are you fucking serious Gale? And you actually believed her? You took her word over mine?' I scoffed.

'Well she didn't lie to me, you did' he says a-matter-of-factly.

'Then you jump to conclusion where you think that _I _cheated on _you_. I wasn't the one making out with another girl in the corner' I accuse.

'She kissed me, you kissed Peeta and how could I not jump to conclusions? It looked pretty obvious to me'

'And you were wrong. You know what, if you really think that I cheated on you then you can have this back. You already broke most of the promises that came with the ring anyway' I say, I pull my- no, the Mockingjay ring off my finger and throw it to him, he almost looks crushed but his hot head quickly covers it. In this school reputation is everything.

Almost on queue Peeta shows up before Gale could respond. He looks at the people that had started gathering around us. Some whispering to each other, some rooting for a fight and some girls hoping Gale breaks up with me so that they can have him. Peeta is trying to figure out the situations, our school mates gathered around us, the tension between me and Gale.

'Look who decided to show up' Gale scoffs.

'Gale' I warn him, he better take this too far. I know I'm only hoping and odds are that it will get worse.

'Katniss?' Peeta asks, confused.

'Peeta just go. I'll talk to you about it later' I say sternly and with authority laced in my voice.

'It's not that easy' Gale growls, starting to advance on Peeta. Thank fuck that Quinn and Finnick are there to hold him back. Luckily that they are both extremely strong because it's taking both of their full strength to hold Gale back.

I grab Gale by the front of his shirt and drag him into an empty classroom. I throw an apologetic smile over my shoulder at Peeta, he returns it. I even see _Marissa _(even her name is like acid on my tongue) smirking at me, I give her the coldest, most hateful glare that I could possibly manage but I don't look long enough to see her reaction. I lean against the wall and cross my arms, Gale leans against a table, micking my position. We stare at each other as a few minutes pass. He cools down and looks calmer. I fiddle with the empty space where my ring should be, my finger almost feels naked.

'Do you trust me?' I ask him.

'Yes' he says without missing a beat.

'Then why are you so angry? It's been like this for the past few weeks, the only thing we have been doing is fighting' I say. He drops his graze and stares at the floor but he stays quite.

'Because I know how he feels about you' he finally says but something sounds off with his confession.

'I know that too but I can handle it myself. That's not what this is all about Gale, something else is going on' I say. He isn't like this; he isn't so aggressive and short tempered. True, neither of us had a great amount of tolerance or patience but this is different. He sits down and buries his face in his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. He still stays silent.

I push off from the wall and walk to him. I kneel down to his height and put my hand over his. I try and pry his hands away from his face gently but it doesn't work so I try a little harder. He drops his hands and looks at me. He looks…defeated.

'Gale, please. Talk to me' I urge, he looks at the floor, I can tell he is trying to keep himself looking strong.

'Please' I beg. I put my finger under his chin, so that he looks at me. He takes a deep breath and leans back in the chair; I put my hands on his knees. He holds his arms open for me and I don't hesitate to take it. I sit on his lap and encircle my arms around his neck; he hugs my waist and buries his head into my shoulder. I wait until he's ready to talk.

'My…my mother….she has black lung' he whispers, I gasp. Black lung is usually something the miners get. It's lethal and there is no cure for it…not even in the Capitol. It's a disease that's caused by inhales the fumes from the mines, even some townies get it but only rarely.

'Shit…Gale, I'm so sorry' I say sincerely, Hazelle was like another mother to me. Always looking after me and caring about me. I turn in his lap so that I'm facing him and my legs are on either side of his, it's an awkward position but I'm light so it doesn't put any strain on Gale's legs. I pull him into a comforting hug as he buries his head into my hair. I can tell he is restraining the tears in his eyes.

'It's ok to cry Gale; it doesn't make you as weak as you think it does. It takes a real man to cry' I say softly. If there is anything that I know about Gale it's that he hates being weak, especially in front of me, he feels like he needs to be my rock 24/7. I feel a tear drop make fall on my neck and soak into my shirt. I pull back from the hug to look at him; he only lets a few tears escape his eyes. I give him a sad smile.

'How long has she known about it?' I ask, probing lightly.

'For a few weeks' he says

'Is that why you've been so angry since then?' I ask, realising that this is when the arguments started becoming frequent.

'Yeah, pretty much' he admits.

'Why didn't you tell me?' I ask.

'You had enough to worry about; I didn't want to add anything to your list' he reasons. I had things to worry about but the top of my list was always going to be Prim and Gale.

'Gale, if something happens I want you to tell me, you don't have to go through it alone'

'Do the kids know yet?' I ask.

'No, not yet. Mum wants to wait until she can't hide it anymore, she doesn't want to worry them' he says but continues.

'a-and Rory, he's not even that old, neither is Vick. Posy…she needs her mother, she's so young, she needs someone to help her with the things I can't' he says softly and sadly. I know he wants to do everything he can for all of them but there's only so much he can do as an older brother.

'I'll help Gale, I promise. I'll help you look after them and help them grow up,' I mean every word I say, 'I'll try to be the best mother I can to Posy and the boys' the words come out of my mouth before I can sensor them. I never wanted kids but in this situation I guess it doesn't count as much.

'You will?' he asks; hope shining in his smoky grey eyes.

'Yes, I will. I know how hard it is to grow up without a mother' I say sadly.

'You would make a great mother' he says. I look down and blush lightly, there is no use in fighting with him now, he's in enough pain as it is, having to watch his mother die right before his eyes.

'I'll be there this afternoon for you' he declares.

'No Gale, you really don't have to' I say, I know he won't let me win this one.

'Yes I do' he says definitively.

'Why?' I ask, I feel guilty that he always there for me and I'm not always there when he needs me.

'Because I love you and that's what you deserve' he says proudly.

'I love you too' I say, smiling at him, although still a sad smile.

'Besides whatever your mother's reason is to be happy, it's big. You'll need me' he says, I huff. He is right; we're both suspicious to why it's such a big secret. It's silent for a few minutes, I think about everything that has happened lately. Gale and I have been fighting, the Prim and Rory situation, _Marissa_, my mother (and her reason to be happy) and now Gale's mother is on her death bed. It's been a roller-coaster.

'I'm sorry' I say sadly, Hazelle will be a lost to me too.

'It isn't your fault' he says, looking down. I pull him to me tightly for another hug. He pulls back and gives me a small smile. I untangle and a hand from behind his neck and caress his cheek, he cover my hand with his and pulls into a sweet kiss. The kiss turns passionate quickly, Gale slips his tongue in my mouth and starts to explore familiar territory, we kiss like this for what feels like seconds but was most likely minutes.

Gale stands up, with me still attached to his waist and pushes me up against the wall, I guess I was probably cutting his circulation off with the position we were in. I let an involuntary moan escape my lips but it was luckily muffled by the kiss, Gale still heard it because he's smiling against my lips.

I roll my hips against his and make him groan and shutter. Now it's my turn to smile. Moments after the classroom door swings open, revealing Finnick.

'Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something' he says innocently, smirking. I shoot him a glare but it turns into a smile, it's hard to stay mad a Finnick.

'Actually yeah you were Finn, and I was enjoying it too' Gale says, Finnick chuckles and I blush. Gale still has me up against the wall, which makes me blush an even darker red.

'Uh Gale' I say, he notices the position we are still in and my blushes. He laughs loudly, something that will be rare to hear in the weeks to come.

'C'mon on rabbits, class is starting soon' Finnick says, chuckling a little.

'Rabbits?' I ask with my eyebrows raised.

'Yeah, you two are at it more than they are' he explains, Gale chuckles as I blush again.

We walk out of the classroom, grab our books from our lockers and we go to stand with the rest of our group. As soon as we get there I'm attacked by Madge and Annie.

'Why the _hell_ didn't you tell us that you got engaged?!' Madge yells at me.

'Madge-'I start.

'Really, Katniss? Ya know if I wasn't so nice I might be offended' Annie says jokingly.

'Guys-' I try again but get cut off.

'How did he propose?' Madge asks.

'Was it romantic?' Annie asks.

'Show me the ring' they both say.

'Guys!' I say and they _finally_ shut up.

'I'm not engaged, it's a promise ring' I say, putting out my left hand for them to see my Mockingjay ring. They squeal in excitement and I cover my ears.

'It's beautiful' Annie say, I smile and nod my head in agreement.

'Yeah it is, I wish _some_ boyfriends were that romantic' Madge says, shooting a glare at Quinn and Finnick.

'Dude, you're making us look bad' Finnick mutters to Gale.

'Yeah, you gotta cut out all this romantic shit' Quinn says to Gale, 'Finn, man, we gotta step it up' he says to Finnick, Finnick nods in agreement. I chuckle and Gale grins.

'What's our first class?' I ask no one in particular.

'Fuck if I know' Quinn shrugs and Madge hits his arm.

'Do you always have to swear?' she scorns.

'Of course babe makes everything more fun' he grins, Madge rolls her eyes. they banter between each other while we all watch, it's really amusing to be honest. I feel a tap on my shoulder, I turn around to see _her. _

'What do you want?' Gales asks harshly.

'I think you know exactly what I want' Marissa says seductively.

'Can you actually like shut the _fuck up_' I ask, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. I don't even have to look at Quinn to know he's grinning at me.

'For now but let me know when you want to have a good time with a _real_ women' she says to Gale, he scoffs as she struts back down the hallway.

'Slut' I mutter, I see Quinn and Finnick grinning at me.

'Is it just me or does anyone else have an overwhelming urge to slap her?' Madge asks.

'Get in line' I mutter, everyone cracks up laughing and I even manage to crack a smile.

The bell goes and we find that we have Social Studies with Ms Trinket. I have this class with Finnick, Peeta, Annie and Gale; I sit in-between Gale and Peeta. Our teacher goes on about manners and etiquette in her ridiculous accent, I don't really listen.

I see Peeta sketching in his book and Gale soundlessly sleeping beside me, Ms Trinket can be pretty oblivious most of the time. I'm bored so I rip a page from my worn exercise book and write a note to Peeta.

"_Sorry about this morning, Gale didn't mean to go after you like that, the past few weeks have just been stressful for him." _I write on the page and pass it to Peeta. He looks up from his sketch, to the note and then he looks at me with a questioning look. I smile and nod towards the note. He picks it up and reads it before writing a response and passing it back to me.

"_Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault, what was he so angry about?" _I read and then scribble my own response.

"_He thought that we slept together and I cheated on him" _I write and pass it back to him. A frown graces Peeta face as he reads the note and writes back.

"_He should know of all people that you wouldn't do that" _I read when he passes the note back to me.

"_Yeah I know but he's had some things going on with family and the food is getting scare as winter is coming. We've both been a little stressed" _I write and pass the note.

"_Do you want some bread?"_ he asks.

"_No! No! We'll be fine, I owe you enough already" _I write back. He frowns when he reads it.

"_Katniss, you don't owe me a thing" _he writes, I huff. Doesn't he know what he has done for me? He gave me so much when I didn't ask for shit.

"_Peeta, you saved my life, gave me food and helped me when I needed it. I owe you everything" _I write back.

"_Katniss as long as you survive and you don't hate me then I'll take that as a repayment" _I read, I look at him and he is giving me a stern look.

"_Fine, if that's how you really want to be repaid"_ he smiles when he reads my note.

"_It is. Friends?" _it's hard to resist the charm of Peeta Mellark, he smiles at me and I shake and smile a tiny bit.

"_Friends. I think just want to forget the past few weeks" _I pass the note back and he just nods but doesn't reply. After that class goes by slowly and I'm extremely relieved when it ends, there only a certain amount of time that you can listen to Ms Trinket without getting a migraine.

The rest of the day goes on quicker than this morning. Through the day I'm worrying about this afternoon, about my mother and her "reason to be happy". I'm almost certain that it will end with us fighting again. The day ends so Gale and I walk hand in hand to pick up Prim and Rory. When we pick them up they are unusually quite, they know that they are still in the shit for sneak out. They walk faster ahead so that we can't hear them.

**Rory's POV**

'They're still pissed at us' I say to Prim, she nods. I swing our clasped hands in-between us as we walk, nearing the Seam.

'I don't think it's because of us being together though' she says after a moment, that's kinda confusing. I know that Gale doesn't like the fact that I was sneaking out to make-out with Prim and I'm pretty sure Katniss feels the same way

'Then what?' I ask.

'The fact that we lied to them' she says, almost whispers. Prim is the most kind hearted person you'll ever meet, she hated the fact that we were sneaking around behind Katniss and Gale's backs but we both knew that it was necessary. Gale would probably have my head if he knew how many times this has happened, just like he did when they found us.

'Yeah, that probably didn't help' I admit.

'I feel so bad though, Katniss does everything for me and in return I lied to her' Prims whispers.

'Prim,' I say, taking both her hands so that she faces me, 'don't beat yourself up about this' I say, she nods but looks down, avoiding my gaze.

'I mean it, promise me' I say sternly, I realise one of my hands and put my finger underneath her chin so that she'll look at me with her electric bright blue eyes that I love so much.

'I promise' she says, I smile and kiss her on the cheek, just in case Katniss and Gale can see us.

'Good, what's done is done, there's nothing we can do about it' I say, I did kinda wish it went differently. We started walking again, our hands still entwined.

'I know but I still feel bad. Has Gale talked to you about it? ' she asks, I shake my head.

'No, actually he hasn't,' I say frowning, 'what about Katniss?' prim shakes her head.

'No she hasn't said anything, maybe they forgot? What with my mother coming back and this afternoon we are gonna find out the reason why' Prim says, with a cute confused expression on her face.

'I doubt they forgot but I think we'll probably find out soon' I say, she nods in agreement.

'Prim! Rory!' Katniss yells, calling us over.

'C'mon, let's see what they want' I say, walking back towards their directions with Prim in tow.

'You guys are going to stay at gale's for tonight, we should be there later but if we're not then don't worry about us' Katniss says

'What about mother?' Prim asks.

'I'll handle it and tell you when we get there' Katniss replies.

'Ok, bye' I say and turn to walk away but Gale catches my shoulder.

'Rory, no funny business' Gale says, I blush and I can see prim blushing too.

'Yeah' I say

'I mean it' he says sternly

'Yeah I know, see you guys later' I give a half-hearted wave and grab prim to hurry away.

**Katniss's POV**

They hurry away quickly and I chuckle. We decided that it would be best for Prim to stay at Gale's while I deal with our mother but I still feel a little uneasy about leaving her with Rory, she going to be thirteen in a week now and she's growing up. I have enough money now to buy her a dress from the Hob for her birthday. I also have money set aside for Gale's eighteenth, it needs to be something big, and surviving past your eighteenth is a big achievement in District 12 and is always celebrated largely.

We get to my house quickly but see that my mother is already there, through the window and she's….smiling and laughing. I go up the stairs and open the door, Gale hot on my heels. I see my mother sited at the table, talking to a man. The words escape my mouth before I can think.

'Who the fuck are you?'

**AN: Cliffy! And I know you hate me! Haha but the next chap will be up soon but it will be short until exams are finished and then I write an extra-long one. Leave your thoughts and questions. **

**Who is the mystery man?! **

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! **

**-J **


	11. Chapter 11

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: its late again sorry about that but exams are so tiring, BUT THEY'RE FINISHED! WOO! The rest of the year is a bludge pretty much so my updates should be more frequent. This story only has about 4 or 5 more chapters but I'm hoping I can do a few more. Here's chapter 11! Enjoy!**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 11

_**Previously **_

'_Who the fuck are you?' _

**Katniss's POV**

'Katniss! Don't be rude!' my mother scolds me, the man beside her chuckles.

He has dirty, shaggy blonde hair and dark brown eyes but you could only tell if you were close enough to him, from further away he looks like he has coal black eyes, with an evil glint in them. He's tall, probably the same height as Gale, or a centimetre shorter. He has a strong muscular build with stocky shoulders and well defined muscles, he looks to be in his early forties or late thirties, around the same age as my mother.

'It's my house; I can do what I want' I declare, it might've been childish but I'm not going to let her treat this situation like she never even left us.

'And I'm your mother' she reminds me, giving me a stern look.

'You _were_ my mother until you left' I spit back at her.

'I'm sorry about that; we're still…mending things' she tells the man but he just chuckles again, its starting to piss me off, he acts like it's a fucking game.

'Mending things?' I scoff, there's no mending to do. I can't forgive her for what she did to us, well more like what she didn't do.

'No, it's fine she has…fire. A rare quality, I like it' the man says, I scowl and Gale puts a protective arm around my shoulders and growls at him. The man grins at Gale and I.

'A pair of fighter's ay? I wasn't expecting that' he says, still grinning.

'What exactly where you expecting?' I ask in an exasperated tone.

'Definitely not someone as fiery you darlin' he says.

'I'm not your _darlin_' I spit, I can feel Gale chest heaving and rumbling behind me.

'Who the hell are you?' Gale asks the venom evident in his voice.

'I'm Blade. Blade Callister, from District 2' Blade says. Gale takes a protective step in front of me, shielding me and growling at Blade. The people from District Two were brutal, lethal and cruel as fuck. We Twelve's always hated them, the fact that they killed for no reason, for fun. We do it to survive; we struggle through each day while they lounge around and have food brought to them on command.

'And exactly what the _fuck_ are _you_ doing in _my_ house?' I growl at him. His grin turns into a smirk as he puts an arm around my mother, who has been oddly quiet during this ordeal.

'Meet the new Mrs Callister' he says proudly, gesturing to my mother. I stand there in shock; my mother married a rick man, a trained killer. She replaced my father with _that_. Gale doesn't look to unfazed, more angry and protective then anything.

'So you replaced dad with a rich, killer?' I ask her, frustration evident in my voice.

'I couldn't grieve forever, I had to move on eventually' she says quietly from underneath Blade's muscular arm.

'Why couldn't you have done this here? Why couldn't you have married a merchant or another seam man?' I say strongly, 'why did you have to leave?' I say softly, I can see the tears gathering in her eyes, ones of regret and sorrow.

'You know why' is all she says.

'I do but it still doesn't make sense to me' I say, my voice isn't as laced with anger and frustration as before but more confusion.

'Forgive and forget is what I say,' Blade interrupts; I scowl at him, 'on a better note, who's the boy?'

'Gale Hawthorne,' my mother says, 'my daughters…-' if it was any other situation I probably would've chuckled at my mother confusion, I'm pretty sure that she still thinks we're engaged.

'Boyfriend' Gale says, sticking out a hand to Blade, not out of kindness or in a friendly way but I to show Blade who's the better man. From Gale's tone of voice "boyfriend" could've been mistaken for protector.

'Nice to meet you boy' Blade says, taking Gale's hand and giving it a firm shake.

'And this is Katniss, my daughter, as you know' my mother gestures to me.

'Yeah, Fighter Girl' he says and I scowl at him.

'Where are you staying tonight?' I ask coldly, turning to my mother.

'Blade and I have bought at house in the town square, a few houses down from the bakery but we haven't settled in yet and I know this is an unfair favour to ask but only until we move in, can we stay here?' she asks, almost shamefully.

'Sure,' I say and they all look completely dumb struck, 'but Prim and I will be staying at Gale's until you guys move into the house in town' I finish.

'Katniss, I don't know if that's a good-' my mother starts.

'Look, I've been taking care of myself and Prim for a long time. Gale isn't Cray. He's too good for that, too decent. He won't hurt me, he won't do anything I don't want him to, ok? It's going to take a while for me to forgive you, if I ever do, but you need to trust my judgements, you needs to trust my decisions and if you're going to try to fix this then that's where you need to start' I tell her.

'Ok, just please be careful, if not for me then for Prim, for Gale' she says.

'Fine. You might need to restock the cupboards,' I grab Gale's hand and walk to the door, 'make yourselves at home' I say, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. I grab my father's hunting jacket and my game bag which has a few skinned animals inside.

'Bye Katniss, Gale' my mother says as I open the door.

'Yeah cya kiddo's' Blade says, I shoot him a glare from over my shoulder and walk out the door, Gale closing it behind us. We walk the most part of the seam in silence, the sun is setting and its getting dark with the grey storm clouds covering the sky. One thing that you never do in Twelve is walk outside in the dark, especially by yourself. There have been many cases where young girls have gone for a walk at night and they get robbed or murdered or raped. I never had to worry about that though, I had a rep here and most people knew about it. I wasn't to be messed with or crossed. But that never stopped me from being afraid for Prim or taking my extra pair of bow and arrows with me. I definitely never had to worry about it when Gale was here.

'So I guess I have a new roommate?' he asks, giving me a little sexy smirk.

'Only if you'll have me' I tease, he gives a light little chuckle.

'There's no world where I couldn't' he smiles at me, he throws an arm around my shoulder and I rest my head on his chest and hook my arm around his waist. We walk to Gale's house at a leisurely stroll.

When we get to Gale's house the kids haven't had dinner yet so Gale and I whip up something quick but filling. We tell the kids to go to bed because its getting late, we watch as they scurry down the hall and into their rooms.

'Where's Hazelle?' I ask, noticing her absence.

'In bed' Gale murmurs, I nod.

'It's gotten worse, hasn't it?' I ask, reaching across the small dining table and resting my hand on his.

'Yeah, the kids are starting to notice now, they are gonna have to find out sooner rather than later, I think she only has a week and a bit left in her, maybe a little less' he says, looking down at the table. I know he's trying to be strong, to not show weakness. It's one of the things I admire and love about him. I'm not sure what to say on the subject so I just nod.

'So I'll take the couch then' I say, walking to the cupboard to retrieve a dusty blanket.

'You'll do no such thing,' he says, walking over and wrapping his arms around my waist and hugging me, 'you're sleeping with me'

'I'm not sure if there will be any sleep involved' I mutter into his chest. I feel him chuckle.

'Everything has been so stressful lately' Gale sighs, looking down at me.

I lean up on my tippy toes and whisper in his ear, 'then let's have some fun'

'Don't have to tell me twice' he smirks sexily, grabbing my hand and leading my into his room hastily.

As soon as the door closes he attacks me with his lips, pushing me up against the wall with a quite thud. His lips move from my lips, to the hollow of my neck, to my collarbone, caress with his tongue and leaving a trail of hot open mouthed kisses. I begin to let out a moan but Gale quickly muffles it with a kiss. He pulls the band from my hair and unravels my braid, letting my wavy hair flow down my back.

'We can't make any noise; they'll hear us' he whispers in my ear. He attacks my lips again, sliding his tongue in as I meet him with mine. We stumble in the general direction of Gale's small bed. I untuck the hem of his shirt from his trousers roughly. I break the kiss and pull his shirt over his head and discard it on the floor. While I work on his belt buckle he moves his mouth down to the base of my neck and then sucks my collarbone. He undoes each of the buttons on my shirt painfully slow, he kisses each inch of exposed skin, lightly and gently but it shoots electricity up my spine.

I finally get the freaking belt undone and throw it across the small room. Gale gets my pants off in record time as I pull off his. I push him roughly onto the bed and crawl onto his lap, straddling him. I knit my arms in his hair and kiss him passionately as he runs his hands up and down my sides. His hands reach my bra straps and with a quick flick of his finger my bra becomes slack, I slide my arms out of the straps and Gale throws the plain black bra across the room.

Gale palms both of my breasts making me moan into our kiss, I grind my now slick centre against him fiercely and he groans into the kiss too, I can feel him already rock hard beneath me. The kiss becomes more urgent, passionate and intimate now. I break the kiss and start leaving a trail of light spine chilling kisses from his lips to his jaw, neck, collarbone, chest and then abs until I reach the elastic of his boxers which now looks like a tent.

He raises his hips to allow me to pull off his boxers, he sighs as I relieve his erection which causes me to chuckle lightly. He tugs at my panties so I help him take them off and they're thrown across the room along with the rest of our abandoned clothes. I move further up his body so that I'm straddling his waste and I can feel his hard manhood poking my lower back.

I start kissing him again with new found ferocity and lust. Our tongues fight for dominance again as I start to win Gale slides his hand from my knee, up my thigh, to my centre and starts to circle my bundle of nerves with his thumb. My breath hitches and I lose my place as Gale dominates my mouth with his.

_If he's going to fight dirty then so am I. _

I reach my arm around my back and grasp him firmly. He gasps loudly. I start stroking him slowly but my grip is firm, I match the speed to which he is thumbing me. I break the kiss again to catch my breath, partly from the kissing and partly from Gale's hands. He sits up, I slide in his lap and he takes the chance to pay attention to my breasts.

He sucks on one, nibbles and running his tongue over my hard nipple as he does the same to the other but with his large fingers instead of his mouth. I when I catch my breath I decide that we've had enough foreplay and I grow inpatient. I forcefully push Gale back down on the bed which creaks in protest.

I grab his manhood and stroke him a few times before lowering myself onto him. I gasp and his groans loudly as he fills me. I wait a few seconds, allowing myself to adjust before I start moving. I start to slowly move up and down on Gale's shaft, he puts his hands on my hips, guiding me. My movements increase as I speed up, Gale thrusts up into me to meet my thrusts. I bite the inside of my cheeks to prevent myself from moaning, I see Gale straining to be quite to but neither of us can hold back our panting. To be honest it just makes it more…erotic to have to be quiet.

My thrusts become quicker and quicker and I know I'm going to come soon and apparently so does Gale because he starts to rub my centre again, faster and harder than last time. A loud groan escapes my lips without permission but Gale leans up and muffles it half way through with a kiss. My breath hitch and I gasp from the new angle; I see Gale smirk sexily as he sits up straight and the new angle allows him to go deeper.

I feel my walls clenching around him as my orgasm takes over me, it feels like ecstasy as I throw my head back and let the white hot pleasure rush over me. With a few more hard, deep thrusts Gale spills into me with a loud groan. He keeps circling me lightly, letting me ride out of my orgasm.

I fall onto my back beside Gale on the bed. We're both panting furiously, a sheen of sweat covering each of our bodies. When I come down from my high I stare at the ceiling for a few minutes before speaking.

'Wow' was all I could manage.

'Yeah' he breaths, apparently that all he can manage too. I roll onto my side to face him and he follows in suite. His lips are swollen and his dark brown hair is damp with sweat and has fallen over his eyes.

'You don't fight fair' I accuse, he chuckles.

'Neither do you' he shoots back, grinning.

'You started it' I say like a little kid, grinning myself.

'And I finished it too,' he says smirking. I smile and blush in return, 'come here' he says, taking an arm out from behind his head and behind my head. I scoot over into his arms; he puts his arm around me, pulling me closer to him as I rest my head on his chest.

'You're so sexy' he says quietly, I bury my head into his chest, trying to hide the enviable blush crawling onto my face but he puts a finger under my chin, tilting me head to look at him. He has a smug smile on his face.

'You think they heard us?' I ask him, referring to his mother and his siblings.

He shrugs, 'mum is probably out cold but the kids might've. No doubt we'll hear all about it in the morning if they did' I think I might die of embarrassment if they heard us, especially Rory because he's old enough to know what we're actually doing.

'Oh joy' I mutter and he chuckles. He starts humming a tune, one that I recognise, one that my father sung to Prim and I when we were young but I'm too tired and worn out to think about it much. Gale isn't the best singer but he can carry a tune, he's not bad at humming either.

He hums and strokes my hair softly and lovingly. A small smile makes its way onto my face before I'm dragged into a nightmare-less sleep. The last thing I feel is the sheets being pulled over me and a kiss on my forehead.

**Gale's POV **

The cold, brisk wind coming through the window and whipping across my back rouses me from my sleep. I don't open my eyes but I snuggle deeper into the sheets. I'm on the edge of sleep but I feel wet droplets hit me. I groan, opening my eyes, its morning and Katniss is still asleep beside me. Her chocolate brown hair sprawled across the small pillow, her face is relaxed. The sheets only cover up the waist, leaving her torso uncovered. Katniss was always underweight but hunting's been great lately, she's put on condition and her curves have become more defined.

A small shiver ripples through her body as a gust of a makes its way through the window along with some rain. I pull away the covers away, get up and close the window, it's absolutely pouring outside so there's really no point in going to school. In Twelve if it's a shitty day we tend to stay home, there's no point in going to extra effort to get to school of get warm.

I crawl back into bed, pull the covers over myself and over Katniss, if the kids wake up and come in there is no point to even deny what we have been doing. We didn't lie to them or anything but Posy and Vick are still pretty young and no of them need to know what we do in our down time.

I can't really tell what time it is but I'm guessing mid-morning or somewhere around there.

'Katniss' I whisper in her ear but she doesn't respond.

'Katniss' I whisper again, gentle shaking her.

'Hmmm?' I chuckle.

'Time to get up' I say.

'I don't want to' she says, burying herself deeper into the covers.

'Don't make me have to get you up' I warn jokingly

'You can try' she says, she still hasn't opened her eyes. I make a move to get up but she snaps open her eyes, straddles me and pins my arms on either side of my head. I laugh heartily. She smiles but frowns when she looks outside.

'It's raining; we don't have to go to school anyway. Why'd you get me up?' she frowns at me and I grin back.

'The kids' I say simply.

'I honestly don't care anymore' she sighs and crawls of me and back to her original place.

'You do realise you're naked right?' I ask her, raising an eyebrow.

'Shit' she says.

'Just tell them I'm not here or something and lock our door' she says, I smile when she says "ours", mainly because I think she did it unintentionally.

'Sure but I'm gonna go to the Hob and grab so soup from Sae'

'Ok there's some skinned squirrels in my game bag, bring something back for me' she mutters and pulls the covers tighter.

'Ok babe, I'll be back before you know it' I say as I get out of bed and get dressed quickly. I go her side of the bed and kiss her forehead.

'I love you Katniss' I whisper, incise she's isn't awake.

'Love you too' she says sleepily. I go downstairs to see Rory sitting at the table. We say good morning and I tell him where imp going, he doesn't ask about Katniss so I don't explain.

It's cold outside, nothing compared to the full winter days of Twelve but cold nonetheless. I wrap my hunting jacket tighter around me, crossing my arms. The walk to the Hob goes quickly, when I get to the alley I look for any sign of Thread as usual buts he isn't anywhere to be seen.

I slip into the door and relax a bit, the warmth overcoming me. I head over to Sae's stall and get some soup. I sit at the stand and eat my meal as Sae tends to other customers. Out of the corner of my eye I see someone sit next to me.

'Hi, I'm Thom' the man says, outstretching his hand to me. He's from the Seam, grey eyes and brown hair. I remember him though, he was a few years above Katniss and I at school.

'Gale' I say shaking his hand.

'So you've almost finished school, yeah?' he asks, I'd like to think he's making friendly conversation but I know this is going somewhere.

'Yeah, only a week and a bit left' I say, eating my soup.

'Look, I have a proposition for you' he begins.

(Line Break)

I run home from the Hob with the soup in the game which is strapped over my shoulder. I know Katniss isn't going to react well to this and I know I shouldn't have of agreed to it without talking to her about it first but I really didn't see another way.

I slow down as I get to my house and take my hunting boots off and walk in. I shrug off my drenched hunting jacket and dump it along with the game bag on the ground. Katniss is sitting at the table, eating something she must have made herself.

'Gale?' she asks as she takes in my form, red cheeks, puffing and worn out. I sit down in the chair across from hers.

'Did something happen?' she asks and I nod.

'I got offered a job' I tell her.

'What kind of job?' she asks wearily, I take a deep breath before I answer.

'I'm going to work in the mines'

**AN: thoughts? I think I'm becoming addicted to cliffy's but tell me what you think about this chap and sorry for any spelling mistakes or anything I didn't edit this chap because I wanted to get it up as soon as possible. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO UPDATED! I LOVE YOU!**

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! **

**-J **


	12. Chapter 12

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: so freaking sorry! This was the hardest chap to write and I didn't know what to do and on top of that I was violently sick, which sucks. Sorry bout being so late, enjoy chapter 12!**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 12

_**Previously **_

'_I'm going to work in the mines' _

**Katniss's POV**

As soon as the words leave his mouth I blank, I close my eyes tightly, warding off the images but it's no use. All I see is every single nightmare I've ever had right before eyes. My father dying in the mines. Thread holding a gun to Gale's head. Prim staving right before me. Peeta being beat by his mother.

It all comes back to me and the worst part is I couldn't do anything for them, nothing. I just stood there helplessly, pleading with them to stay alive, to stay with me.

I think about my father in the mines, watching the explosion, watching men's bodies litter the ground. My father's body lying on the ground, mangled and bloody, barely recognisable anymore. My vision changes and instead of my father's body I see Gale's, his eyes lifeless and his body limp.

As quickly as the image appears in my head, I sprint for the small bathroom, I can feel my breakfast rising in my throat. Luckily, I make it to the toilet to empty my stomachs contents into it, I can feel Gale behind me, holding my hair back.

Once I emptied my stomach I slump against the wall and close my eyes. I feel a damp towel put against my forehead.

'You okay' Gale asks after a few minutes.

I open my eyes and look at him, he's kneeling in front of me, holding the towel to my forehead. I give him a half-hearted smile, 'what do you think?' I say croakily, but he doesn't smile, he doesn't chuckle or laugh, he just looks at me concernedly.

'I think that you need rest, I don't think that was normal' he says and I nod my head. He picks me up from the bathroom floor and carries me to his room. He sets me down gently onto his bed and pulls the covers over me, tucking me in. he kisses my forehead and turns to leave but I grab his arm.

'Stay with me?' I croak.

'Forever' he says, he lifts the blankets, crawls in and tucks us in again.

'Katniss-' he starts.

'Shhh, we'll talk about it later' I say as I snuggle into him

'But-'he protests.

'Sleep' I say, he doesn't say anymore and I drift off into a sleep, snuggled into Gale.

(Line Break)

It's cold when I wake up, I grope the sheets to find them Gale-less. I sit up and it makes my head spin, I pull my knees up and put my head between them for a few minutes while the nausea subsides.

Once it passes I slowly and cautiously swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand up. I walk to the kitchen to see Gale passed out in a kitchen chair, slumped over the kitchen table. It's about mid-afternoon but neither of us got much sleep last night because of the….things we were doing.

I smile at the sight of him but my stomach growls, I am absolutely starving. I look through the cupboards but don't find much. I frown as I close the cupboards rather loudly. I hear Gale groan.

'Sorry' I say in his general direction.

'Food's in the game bag' he mumbles.

'Thanks' I say, seeing the game bag in on the corner of the bench.

'Could be old though, be careful' he warns, his heads rests in his arms and his eyes are still closed. I pull out the meat out of the bag at examine it. It didn't look off and it smelt as good as skinned animals can.

'Should be okay,' I assure, 'did you go hunting today?'

'Yeah I did but that meat is from a few days ago so just be careful' he says, sitting up, stretching and yawning.

'Ok _mum_' I tease as I prepare the food. I cook it quickly but thoroughly, grab a plate and sit down across from Gale, eating.

'None for me?' he asks, now more awake.

I shake my head, 'No, I'm starving' I tell him and he frowns.

'What?' I ask.

'Do you think it's a good idea to eat that after what happened this morning?' He says, sounding all protective and fatherly.

'Do you think I care?' I say sarcastically.

'Probably not' he says.

'Exactly' I say, pointing at him with my fork, he chuckles.

'Ok fine, don't go all emotional on me' he says. He stands up to- what I assume- make himself some food.

'Whatever' I mutter under my breath as he sits down next to me with his own food in hand. I continue eating until I hear footsteps making their way down the hallway and into the kitchen.

'You slept in late' Gale notes, looking up from his food.

'Yeah didn't get much sleep' Vick says, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

'How come?' I ask as he sits down at the table.

'Prim and Rory wouldn't shut up'

'What were they doing?'

'Giggling and talking, they were so loud. They kept me up all night long,' Vick says, 'and then when they finally went to sleep I heard noises, I'm not sure what they were but they were loud' he continues.

I blush beat red as Gale gives me a knowing look and smirks, no doubt the noise was me.

'It was probably the wind of something buddy' Gale tells him, Vick nods but gives us a suspicious look but dismisses it with a shrug.

'So Prim slept with Rory…like I mean in the same bed?' I ask cautiously, knowing that I won't like the answer

'Yeah but don't worry, I kept them in check,' he grins, 'food?' he asks.  
'On the bench' Gale says, pointing behind him.

Vick grabs his breakfast and wolfs it down, saying he's meeting some friends at the park. He leaves quickly, hurry out the door while putting on his coat, leaving Gale and I to ourselves.

'Well, that would've been awkward…' Gale says, I'm sure he's referring to the noises Vick heard.

'At least the noises were kinda muffled by the walls' I say, relieved.

He laughs, 'Yeah you're not the best at keeping quiet' he says

'Hey! That wasn't just me, that was on you too' I say, hitting his arm from across the table and he chuckles lightly.

'What are we going to do?' he asks, the mood turning serious.

'About what?' I ask, I can think of many things right now that we need to figure out.

'Everything. Mum, Prim and Rory, Blade and the Mines' he answers, sighing.

'I think you should tell them about Hazelle' I say and he nods sadly. He beckons me over and pats his lap, inviting me. So I stand up, walk over ad sit on his lap, he encircles me in his arms and I place my arms over his.

'I think so too,' he sighed sadly, 'it's only a matter of time' I hug his arms tightly around me in a comforting and reassuring way.

'It'll be okay Gale, I promise' I say, leaning my head back and kissing his cheek.

'How do you know?' he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

'I don't know, I just do' I say. I feel his warm breath on the back of my neck; he kisses the crook of my neck lightly which makes me shiver in pleasure.

'I love you' he says.

'Love you too' I reply, turning my head so that it's resting on his shoulder and I'm looking at him. He looks sad but I can see a shine in his eyes, a shine of hope. I give him a small smile which he returns half-heartedly.

'How about you go talk to Hazelle while I go and check if my house is vacant again' I suggest to him.

'But what about Blade-' he starts but I silence him with a light kiss.

'I can handle Blade, he's just like every other person, and you need to talk to your mother, you need to sort out what's going to happen with the kids too' I tell him, trying to be as persuasive as I can.

'Katniss, he's a murderer' Gale insists, I roll my eyes at him.

'So am I' I retort.

'And I am too but he does it for fun, we do it for survive. We only kill animals' he says.

'How do you know he's killed a person?' I challenge.

'How do you know he hasn't, why are you defending him?' he questions, confusedly.

'I'm not, I'm just trying to get you to understand that I will be fine, I can take care of myself' I insist.

'I know you can' he says quietly.

'Then I'll see you later' I say, untangling his arms from around me and standing up. I walk over and pick up my game bag and hunting jacket. I turn to Gale, who engulfs me in a hug, lifting me off the ground.

'Katniss?' he says, not letting me go yet.

'Yeah?' I answer.

'Be safe' he says, putting me down now.

'Always am' I answer with a smile, he lets go and I make my way over to the door.

'Oh Gale?' I say before I walk out the door. He turns around to look at me.

'Yeah?' he says.

'We'll talk about the mines later' I say, reminding him that I haven't dropped the subject and I haven't forgotten.

'Ok' he says, not meeting my gaze.

'Be back later babe!' I call over my shoulder as I leave, closing the door behind me.

'Bye!' I hear Gale yell back through the door.

(Line Break)

I don't bother knocking as I walk through the front door of my house. I hang my hunting jacket by the door before walking through the house.

'Hello?' I call out, my voice echoing through the small house, 'anyone home?' but only silence answers my calls.

I huff as I walk into the kitchen, dumping my game bag on the bench. I open a cupboard to see if I could scrap up any food to eat, my jaw drops when I see the contents. The cupboards are full of food, more than I have even seen in my life. I shut it and look through the rest of them, finding them all full of food and drinks.

'What the hell?' I mutter to myself in confusion.

'Well you told me to stock the cupboards, didn't you?' a voice asks from behind me. I turn around to see Blade leaning against the door frame, his hands in his pockets.

'Blade' I say coldly, his black eyes meeting my grey ones.

'_Darlin' _he retorts smirking, trying to get a rise out of me.

'Katniss,' I growl, 'it's Katniss'.

He holds his hands up, feigning surrender, 'sorry _Katniss_, honest mistake' he says innocently.

'What are you doing here?' I ask, leaning against the table.

'I live here now remember?' he says, as if he's talking to an infant.

'Not for long' I remind him coldly.

'No, not for long. The house should be settled in a few days, if not tomorrow' he says, which actually surprises me; I thought I would be staying with Gale for a lot longer than that.

'Good' I say dismissively, hiding the surprised tone in my voice. There is a pregnant silence for a few seconds before Blade speaks.

'You're mother is quite fond of you, you know that?' he says out of the blue, confusing me as to where and why he is bring it up.

'And?' I say in a rude tone.

'And you're hurting her, Katniss. Give her a break' he says, if I didn't know any better I would've fallen for the sincerity in his voice, but I do, so I don't fall for it.

'You don't know anything' I say sternly. He doesn't know what she did to us, how it affected us.

'I know more than you think I do' he counters, making my blood boil along with my temper.

'Even of you do, you have no idea what I've been through. You lived where food is handed to you on a silver platter; I had to fight to survive' I remind him. It seems like I have to keep telling people this over and over and I'm getting sick of it.

'You really think life is that easy in 2?' he chuckles coldly.

'I know it' I say confidently.

'Then you don't know much dar-Katniss' he says, but it isn't rude or insulting he sounds like he's actually trying to be nice so I raise

'What do you want?' I say bluntly.

'What do I want? There are a lot of things I want; you might have to be a little more specific' he says, chuckling a little.

'What do you want with my family?' I specify.

'I love your mother, I'm married to her which means that I get you in the package' he says holding out his hands and gesturing to me. I scoff.

'You have no claim to me, neither does my mother. You're lucky I'm letting you stay here' I remind him.

'Yes, the accommodation is… unique' he says, trying to find the right words.

'Go to hell' I spit at him.

'Been there and back, trust me it ain't a pretty place' he chuckles darkly, a glint in his eyes almost tells me that he might actually be telling the truth.

'Is this some sick joke or something? I know you don't love my mother, she has nothing to give you and I know that you're not capable of loving anyone' I accuse him and he glares at me evilly, like a death stare but he lightens up quickly.

'Just like you're _so_ capable of loving that- what's his name, Garrett?' Blade says sarcastically.

'It's Gale,' I correct him, 'and my personal life has nothing to do with you' I say angrily.

'Does now, you're my daughter and I'm your father' he says. Just the thought of him comparing himself to my father makes me want kill him.

'You are _not_ my fucking father and I am sure as hell _not _your daughter' I say with so much emotion in my voice I swear I saw him flinch. My father is a sore spot for me; most people know it so they usually avoid the topic at all costs. Blade is no better than anyone else, probably even worse and I'm not going to treat him any differently.

'Easy there tiger. How does your husband handle you?' Blade says cockily, running his hand through his hair. I don't even try to tell him that Gale and I aren't married; he can think what he wants. I don't need to explain myself to someone like him.

'Fuck off Blade, Prim might have been accepting of you but I'm not. I see you for who you really are, a monster? You've come to ruin my family even more for some fucking reason but I'm not going to fall for your shit' I tell him, leaving out all formalities. His calm and cocky attitude drops as the anger takes over his face.

'Who says I'm joking? How do you know that I don't really love your mother? You don't know anything about me kid' he says furiously, his fists clenched by his sides, restraining himself from lashing out physically.

'I think I know enough to stay away' I spit back, my hands clamped on the bench, restraining myself.

'Then leave' he says coldly.

'What the fuck do you think I'm doing' I spit back. I grab the food I was going to eat and some more- well and a lot more- stuffing it in my back and storming to the door, pushing past Blade. I grab my coat but stop at the door and turn around to face him.

'Bye darlin' he says sarcastically.

'I want you out of this house by tomorrow, at noon, no later,' I command him, he's about to interrupt but I continue anyway, 'you might wanna leave before me and my arrows make you' I say coldly and walk out the door before he can respond.

I walk home. To my real home.

With Gale.

**Gale's POV**

'Be back later babe!' She calls over her shoulder as she leaves, closing the door behind her before I can respond.

'Bye!' I yell through the door anyway, not sure if she heard me or not.

I run my hand through my hair as I think about her last words before she left.

_We'll talk about the mines later._

I knew that we had to talk about it, of course we had to. I did act on impulse when I took the offer, I was thinking about my family and Katniss. I wanted her to be my wife, girlfriend wasn't enough. The word _girlfriend_ seemed too… simple, what we are, is more than that. It sounds so cliché but I can't think of any other way to put it, the things we've been through, and the shit that we have seen is more than anyone wants to see in their lifetime.

Truth be told that when I gave her that promise ring, I wanted to ask her to marry me. I wanted it so bad and I almost did ask but I thought better, it wasn't about me, my whole life was about her, and it was her.

When I took this job I took it with Katniss in mind. I sigh as I walk down the hall, leaning against the wall outside my mother's room. I needed to take one challenge at a time and right now I had to talk to my mother and no doubt it isn't gonna be an easy talk either.

I stand up straight and puff out my chest. I extended my hand to door and knock. A scratchy voice answers my knock but I don't hear what it says, so I take it as an invitation.

'Mum?' I call out quietly as I open the door slowly and cautiously, just in case she is sleeping.

'Come in, Gale' she says. I walk in and pull up a chair beside her bed. She looks worse than the last time I saw her. She almost looks like death, her appearance is dark and sickly and she looks like she looks like she hasn't sleep for the past 10 years.

'No offense mum, but you look like shit' I say, trying to keep a small sad smile off my face but fail.

She chuckles a little, 'just because I don't have enough energy to hit you doesn't mean you can say that son' she says jokingly.

There is a silence as all the kidding subsides and the serious atmosphere settles in.

'Have you seen Rory?' she asks.

'Not today…why?' I ask confused.

'I told him' she confesses.

'You did?' I ask dumfounded.

She coughs, 'Yes, I'm quite sure that Prim is with him too'

'You know about them?'

'Yes, it was always obvious, I knew before they did. I am his mother, I can tell these things' she chuckles a little, but it almost looks painful to do so.

'Right, what about Vick and Posy, have you told them?' I ask.

She shakes her head, 'I haven't told them yet, I don't know how to' I can see tears pooling at the corner of her eyes but she blinks them back, my mother has always been a strong women, always putting everyone else before herself.

'They need to know, soon' I tell her.

'Soon' she echoes.

'Are you going to tell them?' I ask her.

'Bring them in here tomorrow and I will, you need to be there for them and Rory too' she tells me.

'I will' I confirm.

'Mum?' I ask.

'Yes Gale?'

'I need to tell you something' I say, breathing out and preparing.

'Yes?' she says.

'I got offered a job' I say, skimming the truth, hoping that we can skip the details but luck was never on my side.

'Really? That's great! What doing?' she asks, happily.

'I'm working in the mines' I confess, lowering my head so I don't have to see her face which would be twisted in horror and sorrow.

'Gale-' she starts.

'I know mum, it's not good and it brings back a lot of bad memories but when…when you're gone I need money to support us all and hunting just isn't enough now' I ramble on.

'Just be careful' is all she says

'You know I will be' I tell her.

'And Gale, I swear to god that if you die I will make sure you wish you were never born' I chuckle and little and she smiles.

'Yes mum' I say obediently.

'And help her, Gale you will need to help her, soon' she tells me.

'Who? Posy?' I ask her.

'No, Katniss' she says and with that I freak out.

'Why? Is she sick? Did she tell you something' I ask quickly, wondering what is wrong with her, scared that I didn't know or realise.

'No, calm down. She hasn't seen me in a while yet but I bet it'll be soon, you need to take care of her' my mother says to me, with a hard and commanding voice which confuses me.

'I already do mum, you know that' I tell her.

'You do, but things are going to get harder Gale, you need to prepare' she says warningly.

'How?' I ask/

'I have some money kept safe that I was going to use for this situation, you will need food and there is a box under this bed that you will need, don't open it until the time is right. The money is in the box, you will also know when to use that' she instructs me and all I can do is nod, remember everything she says.

'How will I know?' I ask unsurely.

'You'll know, you're a smart Gale, you will know' she gives a me a smile but she looks like she is about to fall asleep.

'Ok' I say as I get up, walking over to the door.

'How…how long?' I ask, swallowing the lump that is forming in my throat.

'Soon,' I can feel my chest tighten at her reply, she know that she will die soon, 'Goodnight gale'

'Night mum' I say and walk out of the room.

**AN: by far the hardest chap to write. What do you think about Blade attemping to be nice to Katniss? What do you think Hazelle is preparing Katniss and Gale for? Leave me your thoughts and question! (no cliffy this time either) **

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO UPDATED! I LOVE YOU!**

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! : )**

**-J **


	13. Chapter 13

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: OMFG 80 FREAKING REVIEWS! THAT'S UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!**

**To be honest I never thought that it would go this far. I love every single one of you for reviewing, for following and for adding me to your favourites. Enjoy guys!**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie 121! (Check out her avengers Fanfics!)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 13

_**Previously **_

'_Night mum' I say and walk out of the room. _

**Gale's POV **

'Vick, Posy, mother wants to talk to you' I tell them, trying to not let my emotions show in my voice.

'Ok, come on Posy, let's go' Vick says, grabbing Posy's hand and making their way to our mother's room.

I fell asleep last night on my old worn out couch, waiting for Katniss to return from her visit with her mother and Blade. I stayed up for a little while but eventually the darkness took me under. I woke up worrying the she didn't come home last night but instead I found her curled up with me on the couch, my arms around her, holding her to me.

Rory and Prim were sitting at the table after their day of absence. Rory looked like he was trying to hold it together, trying to look like a man and I was proud of him. Prim looked at Rory with understanding and sadness. Those two worked well together, they help, protect and comfort each other. Just like Katniss and me.

Katniss gave me a knowing look and I gave her a half-hearted smile in return. A few minutes of silence filled the air until we could hear sobbing through the walls. The door to my mother's room opened, revealing a tearful Vick and a crying Posy. Katniss and I stood up and met them half way, Vick latched onto my waist and Posy ran into Katniss's arms, burying her head into her braid.

'Th-this can't be ha-happening' sniffled Vick, I hugged him tighter and knelt down to his level to make it easier.

'I'm so sorry buddy' I say, as I could feel him hug me even tighter.

'Mu-mummy' Posy cried, her tears staining Katniss's shirt. There were a few more minutes of crying and comforting until Vick calmed down a little and Posy's crying had subsided to sobbing.

'What are we going to do?' Rory asked from the table. I stood up but kept a reassuring hand on Vick's back.

'Just what we have always done. We survive and we fight' I say in the most reassuring voice I can muster.

'We can't do it without her' Rory whispered as prims gently and comfortingly rubbed his back.

'We will have to, she would want us to' I tell him.

'How much longer?' he asks, I lower my head, not being able to meet his eyes.

'Soon' I repeat our mother's words from earlier. No words are spoken, only silence in the air is so thick I could cut it with a knife.

'I need you guys to do something for me,' I say, breaking the silence, they all look at me with expecting looks, even Posy, 'I need you to stay strong, I know all of you can, do it for mother' I tell them .

Rory nods gravely and tries to put on a brave face.

Vick just looks at me with despair.

Little Posy doesn't take in my words and continues crying into Katniss's shoulder.

Soon enough, Rory and prim leave to have some alone time but not before I tell them that there is to be no funny business and they both nod. Vick locks himself in Rory and his room. Posy feel asleep exhausted from crying on Katniss's shoulder.

Katniss left to put Posy to bed a few minutes ago and now her I am sitting at the table trying to figure out what to do.

All the kids were so young, too young to lose their mother. Losing our father was bad enough. Not until now could've I imagined what it was like for Katniss when one of her parents died, the other left with them. She was around Prim and Rory's age when it happened, she had no one to help her and no one to support her. That was until I came along.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a soft loving melody coming from the bedrooms. I stand and follow the voice down the short hall. I quietly slipped into posy's room, making sure not to make a sound. Posy was tucked up in bed as Katniss sat beside her, gently stroking Posy's long brown curly locks and her beautiful voice filled the room with an old lullaby that I haven't heard since childhood.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed a of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down you, and close your eyes_

_And when they open, the sun will rise _

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daises guard you, from every harm _

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you.  
_The ending fades into a whisper and then there is silence, I could hear the light even breaths from Posy, indicating that she was asleep.

Katniss stays still and silent, still stocking Posy's hair softly and lovingly before she stands and turns. Her eyes widen with surprises when she sees my leaning against the door.

'You have a beautiful voice' I say quietly, making sure no to wake up my little sister. She blushes at my comment which makes me smile.

'Thanks' she says half-heatedly. I close the distance between us and wrap her in my arms, hugging her comfortingly. She circles her arms around my waist and rests her head on my chest as I rest my chin on the top of her head.

'It really is beautiful, I'd love to hear it more often' I say and I feel her sigh.

'Only if you're good' she says with a small hint of humour in her voice, I chuckle.

'Yes ma'am' I obedient which makes her giggle. She tilts her head up to look at me with a small smile on her lips which I return and kiss her softly on her forehead.

'C'mon, we better leave before she wakes up' I say gesturing to a sleeping Posy.

Katniss nods and takes my hand as I lead her out of the room to the couch. We sit down and turn to face each other.

'Where are the kids?' she asks, I shrug.

'Posy is asleep, obviously. Vick I think is just dealing with the situation on his own and Rory and Prim went out' I tell her.

'I think you really need to talk to Vick' she says.

'Yeah, I will, this afternoon. He's taking it better than I thought he would' I say thoughtfully. Rory was trying to be strong and emotionless, Vick was dealing with it in his own way but he didn't have the maturity and understanding that Rory did and Posy took it exactly like I thought she would, bawling her eyes out at the knowledge that her mother be around for long. Posy was young but she was old enough to have a general understanding of what was happening and the inevitable outcome of it.

'I think the strength runs in the family' she tells me, smiling.

I shrug, 'Maybe'.

'It does' she tells me, authority evident in her voice.

'If you say so' I say indifferently but grinning.

'I do' she says nodding. I grin at her and she rolls her eyes, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like 'stubborn ass'. I laugh, see trying to fight of a smile but I see her lips twitching. She lightly punches my chest but I catch her hand and put her closer to me. I lean back on the couch and pull her on top of me, her hand on either side of my head and she is straddling me. She narrows her eyes suspiciously at me and I grin at her.

'What? It was getting cold over here' I say innocently and she rolls her eyes at me.

'Then get a blanket' she retorts.

'You're warmer though' I say. I pull her down on top on me so that there is no space between us. She squirms a bit, trying to escape but my grip is too tight.

She sighs, 'Uh fine'.

'You give up?' the smugness evident in my voice.

'Depends, what do I get if I give up?' she grins playfully at me.

'How about me?' I suggest, wiggling my eyebrows. She laughs.

'Hmmm I'm not sure, can I have a test run?' my answer is clear when I lean up on my elbows and press my lips to her. She puts her hands on my chest and I loosen my tight grip to put one hand around her waist and the other behind her neck.

She opens her mouth, inviting me in, I slide my tongue in. Her tongue meets mine as they dance together sweetly. It becomes more intense and passionate and just as I'm about to shift our positions, she breaks apart and sits up. I give her a questioning look but she just grins at me.

'It's a nice day today' she comments, looking at the sunlight streaming through the window.

'What-' I start dumbfounded but she interrupts me.

'I think we should go to the park' she says, looking at me.

'Or the meadow?' she asks innocently again when she sees the incredulous look on my face. I just sit there before a mischievous smirk graces her face.

'Oh, I'm going to get you back for that Everdeen' I tell her tauntingly, a secretive smile on my face.

'Yeah, yeah, we've been through this Hawthorne, you should learn from it too, I always win' she states cockily, with her hands on her hips.

'Is that a challenge I hear?' I ask, raising my eyebrows, she gives me a beautiful grin that would light up a room in the darkness.

'No Hawthorne, it's a question' she says sarcastically.

I raise my hands, mocking surrender, 'Ok then, I'll get you back. I can win' I say with a confident grin.

'Then how come you always lose?' she challenges.

'Maybe I just always let you win' I say with a shrug.

'Are you kidding?' she asks rhetorically, 'I kick your ass' she scoffs.

'At what?' I ask, leaning up into a sitting position.

'Everything' she says confidently.

'You wish Everdeen' I scoff at her.

'You don't think I can win?' she asks, her eyebrows raised.

I grab her hand and pull her down onto my lap, 'At some things maybe' I shrug; she put her arms around my neck.

'Watch your back Hawthorne' she warns playfully. The bantering is fun, it's only playful but it's a nice break from the seriousness that's our lives.

I lean in closer to her, her lips only an inch from mine. Her sweet breath washes over me, 'Only if you watch yours Everdeen' I say quietly, leaning in to kiss-

'Would you two shut up and leave already? I'm trying to read' a voice says from the kitchen which makes Katniss and I jump. Katniss jumps off my lap in record time as I stand up and whip around, only to see Vick sitting at the kitchen table reading a book looking at us.

'Ugh, I swear you guys are going to make me puke' he says. I laugh and Katniss arches an eyebrow at me, I stifle my laughter.

'Meadow?' She asks, ignoring Vick's comment.

I take her hand in mine and nod, 'Meadow'.

**Katniss's POV **

The walk to the meadow was quiet and peaceful. The sun was bright and warm, the green grass swaying in the war, soft breeze, the Mockingjay's singing in the trees. It was atmosphere was too happy to match the current situation, the death that seems to surround us.

I decided that I was going to make him talk about the Mines today; try to persuade him to decline to job offer. We might need money and food but we've survive for almost 18 years - granted, we had help, especially as children when we still had our parents we didn't have to worry. There are other jobs that we could do, we can still hunt and fish. I know that Gale will fight just as hard to get his point across and when his decision is made I can't do anything about it.

When we enter the meadow it's beautiful. The wild flowers are scattered across the field, the bright colours reflecting in the sun. A particular flower catches my eye, a Dandelion. The bright yellow petals standing out from the rest of the flora. To me dandelions mean hope, my father used to tell me something about them:

_Even in the most desperate times, Katniss, if you find a dandelion, know that there will always be hope for us. _

I smiled as I picked one from the ground and held it up to me to see it better. Gale steps in front of me, taking the dandelion from my hand a tucking it behind my ear. He smiles at me and I smile back.

We lay down on the soft grass, my head resting on Gale's stomach, looking at him. He runs his hands through my hair, taking it out of it usual braid and twirling it around his finger, playing with it. I hum with content.

'So I'm guessing you brought me out here to talk about going into the mines?' he asks, its not really a question but I answer it anyway.

'Yes'

'Then shoot' he tells me.

'Have you already taken the job or has it just been offered to you?' I start.

He half nods and I give it a quizzical look, 'I've kinda taken the job; I told Thom that I had to talk to you first'

'Thom?' I ask, the name sounds familiar but I can't quite place my finger on it.

'The guy who gave me the job offer, he was a few years above us in school, from the Seam' I remember the guy now, seen him around the Hob and in the Seam.

'If you did take the job, which I'm not saying you are,' I backtrack I see a small gleam of hope in his eyes, he's probably hoping that I would agree without a fight but he should really know better than that by now, ' do you know when you would start?'

'When I got back to him on my decision, he wanted me to start as soon as possible' he answers, still playing with my hair.

'Why you?'

'I'm young, healthier than most, tall and strong. Maybe they just need more people or maybe they need stronger people'

'Would you work every day? You know, full time?' I ask him.

'Every day from morning to night but I get Sunday's off' only Sunday's I would get too actually to talk him. He will come home every night, exhausted and dirty from the mines, I don't think that I would be able to have a proper conversation with him. I'm almost certain that he would spend all of Sunday catching up on the sleep that he was deprived of.

'Gale-' my eyes focusing on the buttons on his shirt, not meeting his eyes.

'Is this the part where you try to convince me to not take the job?' he asks me, cocking an eyebrow and smirking a little.

I nod against his chest a small smile appearing on my face, 'You know it'

'And you know that we need money' he says looking down at me, almost with pleading eyes. I shake my head on his chest.

'We can manage, the same as we have always'

'But now I have three siblings that won't have a mother soon, plus you and Prim. Hunting isn't enough anymore, it's enough for food but not money, we're broke as ever and I need a job, one that pays just….enough' Gale explains.

'But you can get a different job, maybe in the bakery-,' I suggest hopefully, Gale shakes his head though. His hands stop playing with his hair, one hand rests on my stomach as the other on my head.

'With Bread Boy? No thank you' he says trying to add a little humour but it doesn't work.

'Fine then, there are jobs in town that you can try' I attempt again.

'For townies, merchants. Katniss, we're from the Seam, I don't think they'll let us come anywhere near their shops' he says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

'What about Madge? She's a Merchant…hell she's the mayor's daughter, Quinn is half merchant and Annie and Finnick aren't exactly poor. Gale, we can figure something out just…anywhere but the mines' he frowns at my comparison, caught out between the two things: His grudge against merchants, people that were wealthier and his friends, the people that he loves and watches out for. He sits up on his elbows, the warm breeze blowing messing it up a little but still frowning all the same.

'Katniss, you know this is the best chance that I have to get money, money to support the kids and you and Prim' he says, I shake my head in frustration.

'No,' I shake my head, 'you don't need to support me and Prim, I can take care of myself, you need to worry about you and Rory and Vick and Posy' I tell him.

'I want to support you, I want to protect you and to do that I need a job and money' he says, sitting up, moving my head into his lap, I look up at him as his stormy grey eyes look down at mine. We've always been protective of each other but when Gale-well anyone actually- gives me things or does things for me, I owe them. This is just taking it over the top; I can take care of myself. I already owe Gale my life; I owe him pretty much everything I can possibly offer, he makes it hard for me to repay him and that makes me fucking frustrated.

I sit up abruptly, facing him, anger blazing in my eyes, 'I don't care about getting money! I'm not letting you end up like dad!' I yell at him, '…or yours' I add a little quieter.

'Who says I'll die?' he says, throwing up his hands in frustration, Katniss, our fathers…that was a long time ago Katniss, the mines weren't as stable as they are now' he reasons with me, lines of wrinkles creased on his forehead from frustration.

'The mines are never stable' I mumble, looking down.

'I promise I'll be fine' he assures, looking at me lovingly. The look that I've found hard to resist but not today. This is different.

'Don't make a promise you can't keep' I say sternly, my eyes turning from stormy to steel.

'I will and I am. I'll be fine, I promise' he says with a comforting tone.

'I can't talk you out of this can I?' I ask, my eyes cast down towards my hands in my lap. A rouge tear making its way down my cheek. He whips it away with his thumb and puts his finger under my chin, lifting it so that my eyes meet his.

'No, it's the best thing to do right now, it's what we need' he smiles warmly at me, I smile back but I know it doesn't convince him. It shouldn't be like this.

'What?' he asks, tilting his head slightly, kinda like a dog would.

'We shouldn't have to talk about this you know' I tell him cryptically, he stares at me, wearing a confused expression.

'I had to talk to you about it. I couldn't just take the job without discussing it with you first' he says, still confused, any other time I would laughed my ass off at his stupid expression.

'No, I mean that we shouldn't have to talk about getting job in the mines and looking after four other people and us. We're only just eighteen' I explain, his confused expression disappears as he understands what I mean but it is replace with sadness.

'We're eighteen and we're poor, my mother's dying, your mother has come back and you've found out that you have an asshole of a step-father' he says, I laugh. Actually laugh, the sound of it echoes quietly through the field. He grins at me and I grin back before it falls. He reminded me of something…my 'step-father'.

I stand, 'I need to go; I'll meet you back at your place' I tell him.

'Where are you going?' he asks with his brows knitted together in confusion.

'I have some unfinished business to attend to' I say, turning and walking away, not looking back to see if he is following me or if he's still sitting in the middle of the meadow, dumbstruck. The thought makes me smile as I leave the meadow and head towards the Seam.

(Line break)

Again, I don't bother knocking. I step right into my house to see it well…pretty much empty. All the luggage and possessions that my mother and Blade had here are now gone. Everything is tidy and in better shape than it was when I left. The cupboards still stocked up on food, I even find fresh linen on the small beds. To be honest, it all confuses the fuck out of me.

I don't think my mother would've cared this much. I certainly didn't think that she would even go to the effort I think as I stand in the middle of my mother's old bedroom which is now mine. A picture of my father on the bedside table, polished and shining, as if it was brand new.

'Like the clean up?' a deep, rough, familiar voice asks behind me. I whip are around to see the source, ready to attack if they are an unwanted intruder. Instead I just find Blade, leaning against the door frame, his dirty blonde hair in his coal black eyes. The way he stands…in a very Blade-like manner: cocky and arrogant. It's the only way I can explain it

'Stop fucking doing that' I growl at him. I don't know why but I swear a lot more around Blade, or more at him. Maybe because he pisses me off so much.

'Doing what?' he asks, pretending to be innocent.

'Creeping up on me all the time' I said.

'Why?' he asks, a knowing smirk makes its way across his face, 'Does it scare you?' he narrows his eyes suspiciously, grinning.

I roll my eyes at him annoyed, 'No, it's just _fucking annoying_' I emphasize, glowering at him.

'It's not my fault you're so unobservant' he laughs, I scowl at him and for some reason that just makes him laugh even harder.

'Bite me' I snarl at him.

He laughs, 'No thanks darlin, not my type, little too young for my taste' I growl at him, like actually growl at him.

'Cocky bastard' I mutter angrily.

'What was that?' he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

'Nothing, what are you doing here?' I ask accusingly, I bring my hand to my forehead, rubbing it. I feel almost nauseated, a little dizzy and everything is a little blury.

'Just stopping by, seeing how you like the little make-over' he says, spreading his arms out around the room, gesturing to it all.

'You did this?' I ask, my hand still on my forehead, talking about the room.

'Did you honestly think it was your mother?' he chuckles a little, and the noise hurts my head. My brows draw together as I wince in pain.

'Not really' I shake my head the slightest, being careful to no move it to much, in case it hurts but the nausea fades a slowly as time passes. Blade doesn't seem to notice my little sickness and if he does then he does say anything.

'I thought that I would brighten the place up a bit' he smiles at me, not smirks, actually smiles.

'Why the hell would you do that?' I say a little less forcefully as I usually would, his smile catching me off guard.

'You let us stay here, least I could do. A simple thank you will do' he says, looking at me expectantly.

I shake my head at him, 'Tell me. Why, really?' I ask him, taking my hand from my forehead and looking at him directly in his eye. They seemed to change colour, it isn't as coal black as they were a few minutes ago. They're a dark brown, like oak wood of my bow.

'I love your mother, you're my daughter now,' surprisingly I don't give him the death glare I usually do when he calls me that, but he backtracks anyway, 'step-daughter and I'm rich anyway. I'd was thinking of knocking it down and rebuilding it but I didn't think I could do it quick enough and I'm sure that you would have my head'

'That I would' I even smile at little at that.

'So I did something small. It doesn't really mean anything' he shrugs indifferently.

I look around the room again, it would've taken a lot of hunting and working for me to save up to do this, it was a lot to me and Prim, 'More than you think' I say quietly, looking at the floor

'Why, Katniss? Are you staying that you trust me?' the smirk returns as his smile fades and his eyes turn from brown back to black.

'Over my dead body' I snap back, all the mutual friendliness disappears. He's about to make a smart remark but a sharp knock interrupts him. We look at each other, puzzled.

'Who the hell is that?' he asks.

'I don't fucking know, do I look physic?' I snap back, pushing past him and head towards the door. Another light knock comes from the door again, almost impatiently.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm coming' I mutter.

I open the door, revealing bright blue eyes and wavy blonde hair, 'Peeta?'

'Hey Katniss' he says looking a little sheepish but relieved all the same.

'What are doing here?' I ask, coming out a harsher than I had intended to, he winces at the tone of my voice.

'Well you weren't at school the past few days, everyone is just a little worried and I just wanted to see if you were ok' he said. It confuses me, I always skipped school, no one worried much before, so why now? I look at Peeta with most likely a puzzled expression on my face.

'I'm fine, look this really isn't the best time, Peeta' I say to him, his expression falters but as quickly as it does he replaces it with a signature Peeta smile.

'Oh ok-' she says, turning to leave but is stopped.

'Who's the kid?' Blade grunts from behind me. I sigh; this is going to turn out interesting at the least.

'Hi, I'm Peeta' he says, extending his arm towards Blade.

Blade steps around me to shake Peeta's hand and introduces himself, 'Blade, District 2 and Katniss's step-father' he says.

Peeta looks at me, almost bewildered, 'I thought your…' he trails off but I knew what he was going to say: he had known that my mother left us and my father was dead, no wonder he was confused, I don't blame him.

'She came back' I murmured, just loud enough for him to hear me.

'Oh, um that's…that's great' he stammers, unsure what to say to me.

'I'll explain later' I say with a small smile tugging at my lips from the look on his face.

'Yeah, I'll just…get going then' he says, point behind him awkwardly.

Blade grunts a small laugh, 'Nah let the kid stay… I wanna get to know all of little Katniss's suitors' he smirks at me and I narrow my eyes at him, annoyed.

'He's not my suitor, I'm with Gale' I growl at him. I don't look to see Peeta's face; I know I won't like it, so I simply don't look.

'Whatever darlin let the kid in' Blade says, gesturing for Peeta to come in as he pushes past me and back into _my _house. Peeta gives me a questioning look, asking me permission. I rub my forehead again, I think I feel a migraine coming on, I just nod feebly. I step aside and let Peeta in; I close the door behind him.

Blade sits on my old, battered and worn out couch, gesturing for Peeta to sit across from him. Peeta takes the seat, quite nervously might I add, and I lean against the wall.

'So Peeta, you from town or…what do they call this side of town?' Blade asks, looking at me for an answer but I don't respond because the nausea comes back, hitting me like a brick wall. I stagger a little, not enough for Blade to notice but Peeta's watching me like a hawk.

Peeta answers for me, 'The Seam, sir. I'm from town'

'Your parents got a job?' Blade asks.

'My mother and father own the bakery, I work there sometimes' Peeta says.

'Really? I just moved into a house, couple down from the bakery, looks like we're gonna be neighbours' most likely fake enthusiasm. The nausea gets worse, my head starts pounding and it's harder to keep up with the conversation.

'Oh…yeah, that's great' Peeta says, distracted by me I think.

Blade starts keeps going on about something mindless, the words becoming blurry. Peeta only half answers from what I can make out but I can feel his eyes on me. I stagger into the kitchen, using the wall to try and support me.

I hear footsteps getting louder as they draw closer towards me. I hear voices and people talking frantically but I can only make out what I could.

'Katniss?' I soft, concerned voice asked.

'Katniss!' a gruffer one shouts.

I see is two blondes, one brighter than the other and two pair of eye, first blue and then the last thing I see are dark, concerned brown eyes hovering over me.

Then everything goes black.

**AN: Sorry if this didn't live up to your expectations, it was kind of a filler but I did try to make it longer for you guys. Also sorry for any spelling mistakes I didn't send this to my beta because I wanted to post this as soon as I possibly could. Again thanks for the 80 reviews so far, you really don't know how much it means. This was only a starter Fanfic. But thanks, until next time! **

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO UPDATED! I LOVE YOU!**

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! : )**

**-J **


	14. Chapter 14

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: HOLY F***ING SH*T. 145 reviews. That's just…wow. You don't even know who happy I am, I just…wow. I can't even tell you how much it means to me. Thank you guys so so much. **

**I just wanted to mention that the author ****Blay Nix, who has written The Adventures of Juliet EverdeenMellark and many other Fanfiction's. She sadly passed away, being diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. Her best friend, Nena, has bravely stepped up and taken the courage to continue her friend's stories. I thought that this was very inspiring and courageous of Nena to do so. So take a look at the Fanfiction's and review. It would mean a lot to both of them. **

**Ok, so with that said the reason I haven't updated soon enough was that I've been so busy, I'm now on holidays and all I have doing is working and helping my parents. So sorry, it sounds like a lame excuse but it's the truth so yeah : ). **

**And I did delete the author's note I put up earlier, they really piss me off. **

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Cordial808 for being my stand in Beta as Frenchie121 is currently away on holidays. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 14

Would be appreciated if read author's note please.

_**Previously **_

_Then everything goes black. _

**Katniss's POV **

I wake up in an unfamiliar bed, more comfortable than I'm used to. I try to sit up but my head swims so I'm forced to lie back down on the fluffy pillows. My muscles are aching and sore, my head pounding but no nausea this time. I groan at the pain, bringing my hand to my head, rubbing small circles on my temples.

'Where am I?' I mutter to myself.

'Your mother and I's house' a familiar gruff voice answers, Blade. I groan, just great. I turn to the general direction of his voice, to my right.

'What are you doing here?' I ask him, he gives me a small smile.

'My house, remember?' he says, I shake my head a little in my own stupidity.

'Oh yeah, right,' I mutter. I remember listening to Blade question Peeta at my house and then…everything was black.

'How did I get here?' I ask, gathering my bearings now.

'That Peeta kid carried you here' Blade grunts. Peeta? Peeta carried me all the way from the Seam to Town? It definitely sounds like something he would do. He made his feelings for me…clear. I can't help but feel a little guilty; he shouldn't have had to do that.

'Where is he now?' I ask, noting that he isn't present in the room.

'Gone to go get your husband' Blade smirks, sweeping his blonde hair out of his eyes.

'Why are you here right now?' I ask, specifying my earlier question.

'I was ordered to watch you and make sure you were ok' he answers, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

'Ordered?' I ask, a little disorientated and confused.

'Your mother' he grunts in answer.

'Never took you for the submissive type' I chuckled a little weakly and it hurts my head.

Blade laughs (probably at my weak attempt to chuckle), 'Neither did I' he says, shaking his head.

'Speaking of which, where is my mother?' I ask him.

'Ugh, aren't you supposed to be all sick and shit? What's with the 20 questions?' he says frustrated, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked at me.

'Considering that I just fainted or I'm sick or whatever happened to me, I'd like to know what the fuck is happening' I snap back at him. He's shocked at my outburst, judging from the expression on his face, but he quickly covers it with his usually cocky expression.

'Well too bad because I don't know where your mother is darlin' he says, using the nickname that he knows I hate.

'Why not?'

'Do I look like I'm fucking tracking her?' he snorts. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if he was.

'Well, shouldn't she be here?' I ask, I thought that she would be here nursing me or something. I thought that maybe she would've been here when I woke up but I guess not. I find myself feeling a little disappointed but I quickly push the feelings aside, now isn't the time to be a child missing their mother.

I push myself up a bit, so that I'm upright and leaning against the mahogany headboard, my head swims and I squeeze my eyes shut until it fades.

'I think you're a big girl now, you don't need your mother by your side every second of the day' he says almost mimicking my earlier thoughts. He leans back in his chair, slumping a little.

'If I don't need someone with me all the time, why are you here?' I challenged, he looks a little pissed that I caught him out.

'Just following orders' he shrugs, giving me a look to make me feel like I'm stupid to forget it.

'Like the perfect person you are' I snort sarcastically.

He arches a blonds eyebrow at me, 'Been called many things darlin and perfect is definitely one of them' he says cockily.

'Do you have to be such an asshole? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were related to Cato. You're both so up yourselves' I say, my voice sounding disgusted- which I was.

'Who the fuck is Cato?' Blade grunts from his chair.

'Doesn't matter,' I dismiss, 'how long have I been out?' I ask, changing the subject because I don't want to talk about the school's dickhead.

'Couple hours' he answers.

'That long?' it only felt like a couple minutes to me.

'You did pass out darlin; it takes more than a couple seconds to wake up' he tells me. His words hang in the air as I try to remember more of what happened before I passed out. I squeeze my eyes shut, in attempt to help me concentrate more.

I remember letting Peeta into my house, him checking up on me, blade questioning him, then the nausea, I think I fell. The two blondes hovering above me and shouting me name which must've been Peeta and Blade. The bright blue eyes which I now know belonged to Peeta and then… the concerned dark brown eyes. The eyes that were Blade's. It makes me wonder if he cares more then he's letting on, if the whole cocky, arrogant; "I don't give a fuck" attitude is all a show, or a mask. Maybe underneath all that shit he's an actual, decent human being.

I could feel him watching me as I tried to figure him out, he didn't know what I was thinking but I felt uncomfortable under his intense stare, 'Can I have some water?' I ask him, wanting him to leave and also partly because I was parched and I could hear my voice becoming scratchy.

'I'll fetch that for you, my queen' he says as he stands and does a small bow mockingly.

He leaves and closes the door behind him with a louder than necessary slam. I let out a quiet sigh. Blade confused me, his moods change quicker than a pregnant woman's. One minute he acts like he cares but then always covers it with his asshole act.

Before I could go into any more depth about the real Blade, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs, well more like running. Soon enough there is a small knock at the door, which actually surprised me because I never took Blade as one to knock, I more expected him to be the one to barge in, uninvited, which he did do sometimes.

'Come in' I call out. I'm surprised again when I see that it isn't Blade standing in the doorway but Gale. He just stands there; he's puffing from running, looking at my weak form.

'Hi Gale' I say weakly.

It takes him a few seconds to snap out of his own world, 'Katniss, are you okay? Does anything hurt? What happened?' he asks so quickly that his words jumble in my ears, I hold up a hand to him, telling him to slow down.

When he takes a few breaths he asks, 'Are you okay?'

'Gale, I'm fine, really. Just a bit tired and worn out' I tell him honestly, he strides across the room in a few purposeful steps and sits on the bed beside me.

'What happened?' he asked.

I shrugged, 'I don't know'

'What do you mean you don't know?' he asks, his brows furrowed in confusion.

'I just felt a little dizzy and then I blacked out, I don't remember what happened after that' I tell him.

'Do you know what's wrong with you?' he questions.

I shake my head, 'I don't know, I haven't spoken to my mother yet'

'Are you sure you're okay?' he asks again.

'Yes Gale, seriously calm down, your freaking out more than me. It'll all be fine, promise' I say, bringing my hand to his cheek and caressing it with my thumb, lightly and gently.

He smiles at me, 'Do you need anything?'

'I asked Blade to get me some water a little while ago but he hasn't come back' I say.

Gale looks at door, like Blade was going to walk in any second and then back to me, 'Yeah I saw him on the way but didn't talk. I'll go grab that water for you' he says,

'Okay' he stands up, my hand falling from his cheek and then leaves. I sit there for minutes, wondering how long it took to get a glass of water around here. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to go and get my own water. As I was about to stand there was another knock at the door.

'Come in, Gale' I answer, sitting back down on the bed.

Instead on Gale, it's Peeta sticking her head through the sightly opened door, looking a little sheepish, 'Um wrong person…do you mind if I come in?' he requests.

'Sure,' I say, nodding my head, 'Hi' I say simply.

'Hi,' he repeats, 'so how are you feeling?' he asks, a warm smile on his lips.

'Better' I say, smiling back, 'and thank you by the way' I add on, thinking how he ran all that way to go and get Gale and for having to carry me all the way here prior to that.

'For what?' he asks, puzzled.

'For getting Gale for me and for carry me all the way from the Seam to here and-'I start to explain.

He interrupts, 'Wait, I didn't carry you here' he told me. I look at him with a frown on my face, my brows furrowed and my eyes narrowed in confusion.

'But Blade said…' I trail off, _Blade said that __**you**__ carried me _here, 'then who did?'

'Blade carried you here while I went to go get Gale, from what I saw he ran the whole way' Peeta says, sounding almost impressed.

'Why did he lie?' the question that we were both wondering.

Peeta shrugged, 'I don't know, you'll have to ask him' he says.

'I will…' I declared.

'Do you know what's wrong with you?' Peeta asks, changing the subject.

'Yeah, it's all good' _from what I know it is. _

'So you're okay?'

'Yeah, I feel fine. I still need to talk to my mother'

'Everyone at school is a little worried about you, you don't have the best attendance record but lately you haven't been there a lot. Madge and Annie think you died in the forest' he chuckles at the last part. I imagine that my girlfriends would be over dramatically worrying over nothing and thinking of the worst case scenario. I smile at the thought of them fussing.

'Yeah, sounds like something that Madge and Annie would think of' I tell him.

'Oh, no, it's not just the girls. Quinn and Finnick were going to set up an expedition to find you and Gale. Quinn said that he'd kill a tree if it hurt you. Finnick suggested that they might have to fight a bear or tiger or something. They were actually pretty excited at the thought of it' he tells me. I laugh, Finn and Quinn were so weird but hilarious. They acted like my big brothers, protecting their little sister from the horrible, invisible monster in the closet. In truth, that's how I saw them, two protective, overbearing, annoying as shit, big brothers.

Peeta grins at me, probably happy that he could get me to laugh. When the laughter ceases he speaks.

'Okay then,' he sighs, looking tired, 'I just wanted to see that you were okay…I better get going' he says, pointing his thumb at the door. He gives me another smile and heads to the door.

'Peeta?' I stop him when his hand is on the door-nob.

'Yeah?' he answers.

'Thank you, still' I say with gratitude.

His smile brightens more, brighten his eyes, 'Not a problem, I'll see you later Katniss'

'Yeah, see you later Peeta' I bid him goodbye and he leaves.

A few brief moments after Peeta left I hear murmurs through the door. I could only make a few words coming from him, like my name, 'awake' and 'better'. The talking stop and then there yet another visitor at my door, I never thought that I'd be this popular.

'Who is it?' I call out.

'Me' my mother answers from behind the door.

'Come in' I call back, with a slight hesitation the door opens slowly with a creak. She walks in and smiles at me.

'How are you feeling? She asks as she made her way to me.

I shrugged, 'Better, I guess' I make a move to stand again but she gently pushes me back down.

'Don't get up yet,' I nod, taking her advice for once, I settle my legs on the bed again and leaned back against the headboard, 'Katniss, I have to tell you something' she says, the seriousness intense in her voice, her expression the same.

'What's wrong with me?' I ask, frowning.

'Well nothing is…wrong with you, so to speak but I know why you fainted' she says wearily. It frustrates me that she can't just get to the point and tell me if I'm sick; I mean how bad could it be?

'Could you please stop talking in riddles and just tell me what wrong' I request, probably a bit harsher then needed, she was trying to help me.

'Katniss, I think you're pregnant' she says bluntly. My jaw drops and my blood runs cold, pregnant? How the hell could I be pregnant? That's not possible, it just can't be. I refuse to believe it.

'You _think_…you think I'm…._pregnant_?' I ask, when I get over the shock….slightly.

She nods, 'Yes I do'

'But that's not possible' I say shaking my head. There's no way in hell….at all.

My mother looks a little relieved at my statement, 'It's not? You and Gale haven't…?' the question quiet clear.

I shake my head again, at her misunderstanding what I said, 'No, no, well….yes but I was….on the pill' I tell her, fumbling to find the right words and feeling the blood flushing to my cheeks.

'Did you do…things…before you started taking the pill?' she questioned.

'I started taking it the morning after' I admitted, feeling my face flush again.

'Katniss, that's not how it works. You have to take it a few days before you can….be intimate' she informed me. But…I thought that….I was so sure that it would have been okay. They didn't tell us this at school…maybe they thought it was a given. Why didn't Sae tell us? Maybe she didn't know but I guess it wouldn't have made a difference anyway, since we had already done it.

'Shit…shit. This can't be happening' I say, finally voicing my thoughts. I never wanted this, I never wanted marriage, I never wanted a baby, _I didn't want this. _

'There's only a few things you can do about it Katniss' she says, like she was reading my mind, maybe I accidently said it out loud, 'and I know I haven't been around these past few years but I am not letting you get rid of this baby. If you try, I will tell Gale; this isn't only your choice. It's Gale's child to' _if there even is a baby_, I think.

'Have you been tired? Mood swings? Nausea? Sore?' I've definitely been tired, a lot but that was from long days and lots of hunting. Mood swings, I don't think I have, maybe and if I did I'm sure that Gale would've have mentioned something. The nausea came before I passed out and being sore, well again that was from long days and the hunting.

'Then I'm almost certain that you are pregnant' my mother affirms.

'That still doesn't explain why I fainted' I state, still in denial that I could possibly be pregnant.

'From what I can tell you haven't been eating enough and that's why you passed out' she explains.

'I've been eating the same things and the same amounts of food that I always do' I tell her.

'Yes, Katniss, but that isn't enough for most people your age and now you are eating for two' she says, gesturing to my stomach where the possible baby is. Eating for two? I already had to feed two, Prim and I. Now I have to feed three when I could hardly feed my sister some weeks.

'So basically I have to eat like a pig?' I ask with sad humour in my voice.

She shrugs, 'Essentially, drink lots of water and for god's sake Katniss _be careful_' she warns harshly.

'Yeah, yeah' I dismiss her with a wave of my hand.

'I mean it Katniss' she cautions.

'So do I' I snap back.

'Should I send Gale up?' she asks.

'No!' I shout unintentionally, she seems taken aback at my outburst, '...no, I want wait until I tell him….just for a bit' I say quieter.

'Katniss...' she starts with a disapproving tone in her voice, I shake my head at her before she can start.

'I promise I will tell him just not now, I need to get my head around it first' I explain and she seems to accept my reasoning with a nod of her head.

'Okay, I'll go get you some food then, you need to eat' she stand up and leaves the room before can answer.

'Okay' I say, even though no one was there to hear me.

_I'm not okay anymore_, I think as I stare at the wall blankly.

(Line Break)

Gale and I were lying on his bed, its night time, but we're doing nothing strenuous or in a sexual nature. Just in a comforting manner. His arms wrapped around me and my head laying on his chest, his thumb repetitively stroking my shoulder in a familiar pattern.

It's been a few days since I passed out. I only had to have one day of bed rest before I was allowed to move around, if it was any more than one day of sitting in a room, not being able to do anything I would've gone insane.

I haven't told Gale about the pregnancy yet. I wasn't sure it was true when my mother told me. Hell, I denied it, refused it but know I see the symptoms. Years ago, when I was younger, I would've denied it till the end; I would've rejected and refused the fact. Now I'm older, I understand things now. There's no way I can change this and there's no way to stop it. I used to think that abortion was murder; girls my age, all over the District that knew the right people or had the resources got abortions all the time. Mostly the girls from the Seam, some of them getting pregnant from being lured into Peacekeeper Cray's bed for food or money, some of them from being raped, any others were just purely accidents with boyfriends or affairs.

That was what I _used_ to think but now that I'm in the same situation as they are, the exact same situation that I used to criticise others for getting themselves into, I called them irresponsible and stupid but now that the same thing has happened to me. Now I understand it differently, they didn't do it on purpose, they didn't want this but to their unfortunate luck it did happen but I'm not having an abortion, no matter how bad this may be.

I decided not to tell Gale until I couldn't cover it up anymore. If he figured it out by himself, I wouldn't deny it either.

'So tomorrow…' Gale says, interrupting my thoughts.

'Tomorrow?' I prompt.

'Yeah, I'm starting work' _in the mines_, I add mentally because I know he's reluctant to do so. I just nod; I can't find my voice to speak my thoughts.

'You're sure?' is the only thing I can find myself saying after minutes.

'Yes, it's getting hard to feed so many people' I feel guilty that his words are true and now we're just adding another mouth to feed along with all the others.

'Ok' I say reluctantly.

He pulls my head up from his chest and looks me in the eye, 'Hey, I'll never leave you, I promise' he tells me. I want to respond, to tell him that someday he will. He might leave when I tell him about this baby, he might die in the mines, or he might find someone that deserves him. Doesn't matter what happens, in the end, he'll leave me. Not wanting to ruin the mood with an argument I just resort to nodding again. He kisses my forehead and I rest my head back on his chest.

'Go to sleep,' he coos softly, moving his hand from my should too lightly playing with my hair, 'don't worry if I'm not here in the morning, I have to leave early' he tells me.

'When will you be coming back?' I find myself asking.

'Late,' is his insufficient answer, before I can ask more specifically he adds, 'I'll meet you at my house, yeah?' he asks.

'Yeah'

I let myself listen to the reassuring thrum of Gale's heartbeat, lulling me to sleep in his strong arms.

(Line Break)

The next morning I woke up in a cold bed. As my hand grope the sheets there is definitely no Gale, but a note. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and try to read it through my grogginess.

_Katniss, _

_I didn't know if you remember our conversation last night, so I left this note in case. I left very early this morning for work; I'll meet you at my house tonight. Remember, I'll never leave you. I intend to keep that promise in every aspect. _

_I love you, _

_Gale_

I smile at his thoughtfulness and set the note aside. I got out of bed reluctantly and got changed. Judging from outside it was about mid-morning so I still had time for breakfast, of I had any food.

I walked through the narrow hallway, to the kitchen.

'Morning' a gruff voice says from the table. I yelp in surprise to find Blade sitting at the table, drinking some water and reading a book leisurely.

'What are you doing here?' I sigh. It's a pretty useless question. Blade is Blade; he does what he wants, when he wants.

'Waiting for you to get your lazy ass outta bed' he grunts in answers, marking his page and putting the book down.

'And why would that be?' I question, arching an eyebrow at him.

'I'm going to take you out today' he declares. I look at him with a puzzled expression, my brows furrowing.

'Where?'

'In town' he answers.

'Why?'

He shrugs, 'Thought you would like to do some shopping'

…shopping? Since when have I ever gone _shopping_? What so I need to shop for…? 'For what?'

He smiles at me, 'Food, clothes, anything you want really,' I'm about to ask him why he is doing this before he adds, 'maybe some baby clothes…' his smile turns in a smirk when he sees my expression.

My eyes widen, as large as dinner plates and my mouth hanging open slightly, 'You…know?' I utter the words through my shock.

He nods, 'Yes, I do, and before you go around pointing fingers at people and accusing. No, your mother didn't tell me. I figured it out for myself,' he tells me, leaning back in the chair, 'it wasn't hard either'

'How?' I find myself asking yet another question, like one of those stupid shows hosted by Caesar Flickerman, in the Capitol.

'I wasn't always alone Katniss, I had a family once too' he points out. The thought is almost forge in, thinking of Blade caring for other people besides his family. He might've had a wife and children, which would explain how he figured out that I was pregnant. I try to picture him with middle aged women on his arm and a few children by his side. I manage to picture it in my mind but the thing I have trouble with is imagining Blade with a warm look in his eyes, instead of the cold, distant ones that he has now.

'What happened to them?' I ask quietly.

His smirk falters, 'Well darlin, that's a sob story for another time' his voice emotionless and his eyes hollow. His cocky cover expression comes over his face when he realises that I'm still here and watching him.

'Well, come on darlin, times a wasting. We need to get going if we want to get there before everything closes' he says, waving me off with his hands.

I decide to take my chances and go with him. I think it was mostly out of curiosity, when he mentioned that he had a family, I wanted to know more about it. I wanted to find out if there was a good side to Blade, despite how hard it was to believe that there would any other side then to him, other than the asshole one.

I fix myself a quick breakfast, scrapping what food is left in my cupboards; maybe I did need to go…shopping. Even the thought is foreign to me, I hunt. I didn't have any money to buy food or anything really for that matter but then my mother came back, with Blade and even though I have been hating and pushing both of them away, both of them have been trying to help me. My mother, trying to mend our relationship, even Blade was trying to help…in his own weird way.

The start of the walk was quiet; we were strolling down the streets in a leisurely pace. You could hear to mockingjay's singing in the distance and see the black smoke rising from the mines. My mind immediately drifts to Gale, hoping that he was ok, wondering if he was doing ok on his first day on the job and wondering when he'll come back.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice Blade wrapping a protective arm around my waist. Just as I was about to ask him what the fuck did he think he was doesn't, he shushed me.

'Shhh, be quiet, Katniss' he whispers, barley moving his lips as he did and still looking ahead, acting as if he had said nothing.

'What's going on?' I shout-whisper at him but taking his lead, I don't move my head to look at him and I try to not make my jaw movements large.

'There are people following us' he whispers back.

I scowl and clench my fists in front of me as I ask, 'Who?'

His arm that's around me pulls me closer to him, in a protective manner, 'I don't know, I didn't see their faces' he answers.

'Fuck,' I curse, clenching my jaw, 'how many?'

'About three' he looks at me from the corner of his eye, evaluating my reaction.

'What do we do?' I ask, looking at him the same way he is looking at me.

'You're not doing anything in your condition, just keep walking. You're slowing your pace, you'll tip them off' so I pick up the original pace as best I can, Blade matches my strides.

'Right, then what are _you_ going to do?' I question.

I see his signature smirk cross his face, he shrugs but only enough for me to notice, 'Scare the shit out of them' he answers.

'How are you going to do that?' I unclench my fists, putting my hands back by me side, trying to make myself look as natural as possible.

'They'll be coming closer soon, don't change your body language and act the same as you were before' he commands and I listen. I try to loosen my walk a little, not look so stiff and alert.

'How are you going to scare the shit out of them then?' I whisper to him.

'To do that darlin, I'm going to beat the shit outta of them' he whispers back.

'What?' I ask alarmed. I can't see these people following us but apparently he can so I'm just going to have to trust his judgement here.

He pulls us into a secluded alleyway and keeps walking as we did on the street. He gives me a, what I suppose is a reassuring squeeze, 'Wait,' he commands, his face in concentration, '…3…2…1' he counts down and as he gets to one he unwraps his arm from my waist and brings it behind my head.

I don't have to time to wonder what the fuck he's doing before he blocks a blow to my head with his forearm. He twist his body and pushes me behind him, I stumble and fall, with the other hand his fist connects with the attackers jaw.

I watch the fight commence from the ground. There are three attackers, all in black, all with masks on so I can't identify any of them. The one that Blade hit backs of a little as the other two advance on either side on Blade, and he laughs, he actually laughs, I'm starting to think that my step-father is crazy.

The two men send each other confused looks but then put their focus back on Blade. The man on the right takes a step forward and a terrifying snarl rips through Blade's throat. The men hesitate for a second, reconsidering their intentions.

Despite the threat the Blade poses to them, the third man comes backs, wiping the blood from his now broken nose and giving his companions a stern look of authority and with that they all advance as a group, from all different directions.

The on one the left attack's first, he swings a right hook, aiming for blade's head, but my step-father is quicker then he looks, Blade ducks, the man over balances form the momentum of his punch. Blade comes closer to his and sends a powerful knee to the attacker's stomach, he doubles over in pain. Blade takes a step back and sends a strong kick to the man's face, a sickening crack wrung through the alleyway as Blade's foot connects with his face. The man's head flies to the side as he crumples to the ground, unconscious.

The other two men, as am I, are startled by the skill that Blade showed. Finally, my hunter kicks in. I pull myself off the ground quickly; ready to help, to fight off one of the men, to help Blade. I'm about to surge forward but an arm wraps around my neck and a hand over my mouth. I scream against the hand, but it doesn't come out a loud as intended, the hand muffling it.

'Quiet, little girl. Keep still and it'll all be over' a man's voice says beside my ear. I try to kick behind me, hoping that my foot will come into contact with the knee or something that will do come damage. I bite down as hard as I can on the man's hand, his blood filling my mouth with a metallic, tangy taste.

His screams fill my ears but it work. He realises me, clutching his injured hand.

'I am _not _little girl' I growl at him.

'you bitch!' he screams at me. Before I can register it, his fist comes flying at my face. It connects with my cheek, sending me sprawling to the ground. The painful sting is all I can feel. He seems to shake the pain off as he comes walking towards me. He brings his foot back, aiming to kick my stomach. The years of hunting helps me as I jump up quickly, dodging his blow.

He puts up a defensive position and I do too. We circle each other, waiting for either of us to strike. Apparently patience isn't one of his qualities and he sends another punch to, aiming for my stomach this time. I drop to the floor just in time and swipe my leg across my body, sending him to the ground. He lands on his hands and knees; I swing my leg at his head in an attempt to knock him unconscious. He rolls away and jumps back up just in time, like I did before. I snarl at him and he smirks back which makes me angrier.

_He's just toying with you, focus, Katniss_, I think to myself.

I bring my fists to the front of my face, in a defensive position, like a boxer. I'm about to strike him when a fist punches him straight across his face, from the side, knocking him flat to the ground.

I look up to see the owner of the fist, Blade. He has a full blown grin on his face. The man manages to get back, Blade and I ready but he turns and runs. I start to run after him but Blade grabs my arm and shakes his head.

'We can't just let him get away!' I exclaim, pointing in the direction that he ran in.

Blade shakes his head again, 'Darlin, wherever he's going, they'll be more of them there' I nod in understanding, it makes sense and it's a logical assumption.

'What the others, the three of them?' I inquire.

Blade grins in triumph, 'Knocked one out and the other two gathered their buddy up and legged it. Came over here to take care of your one' he tells me.

I narrow my eyes at him, 'I was doing fine by myself' I assure.

He nods at me, 'Yeah, I know, I saw a few of those moves you pulled, where'd you learn them?' he asks, his voice almost in awe.

I shrugged, 'They just came naturally I guess' I didn't really know where they came from. Maybe play fighting with Gale when we were younger but I don't remember ever doing anything that advanced.

'You're a natural fighter, darlin' he smiles proudly at me which makes me grin too.

'And apparently so are you, for an old man' I point out, he took one three of them at a time. I looked over him he wasn't badly injured, some cuts here and there and a large bruise swelling in his jaw.

He shrugs, still grinning, 'Maybe, maybe not, I had training, you didn't. He got you good across the face though' he says, point to my left cheek.

'Yeah, lucky shot. I gave him a bruise or two' I say, smirking in satisfaction.

'Good. Did they get you anywhere else? Did get hurt your stomach?' he asked, worry leaking through his voice.

I shake my head, 'No, he missed, barely' I add. If I hadn't been quick enough he would've.

He nods, 'Good, we'll go back go mine. Your needs to fix up your cheek, might need stiches' he informs me, I groan.

We start walking back to Blade's house after checking that we both didn't have any extensive damage. Out of nowhere Blade starts laughing heartily and slings an arm around my shoulders.

'What the hell are you laughing at?' I look at him like he's a psycho.

He shakes his head, chuckling, 'Nothing, just that this is the most fun I've had since I got here' he laughs again and I grin at him.

Maybe Blade isn't so bad.

**AN: so there it is. I hope this was ok, I spent days going over it and changing things, I didn't really like this but yeah. Some people were asking about Blade and for more of him so I liked that part. This was also a long chapter to make up for the lateness : ). Oh! And Katniss is finally pregnant, everyone who guessed was right. Anyway, thanks, until next time (which will hopefully be sooner)! Leave your thoughts and questions. **

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I LOVE YOU!**

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! : )**

**-J **


	15. Chapter 15

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: hey guys! I think this is the quickest update I've done :D ok so this isn't the longest chap but I got heaps of reviews for the last chapter and I really loved it so I starting writing a lot earlier than usual. Everyone is really likening Blade, happy that Katniss is pregnant and wants her to tell Gale. **

**This chapter is more Katniss and Blade with a bit of Katniss's mother in it. **

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie121 (check out her ff's!). Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 14

_**Previously **_

_Maybe Blade isn't so bad. _

**Katniss's POV **

I was currently sitting on chair in my mother's house, flinching at the pain as she put antiseptic on the cut across my cheek.

'Hold still Katniss, I need to stitch this up' she complained, it was hard to keep my head still, I hissed as she dabbed some more on with a cotton bud.

'Ok, you really need to keep still now or this is going to hurt a lot more then needed' she tells me, bringing out a need and thread. Unfortunately the souvenir that my attacked gave me didn't turn out to be a flesh wound.

Once Blade and I had walked, stumbling on my part, back to the house my mother checked us both over. Truth to Blade's words, I did need stitches. Apart from that, we'd both be fine apart from some surface cuts and a couple of bruises.

My mother soaks the thread in some liquid and puts it through the tiny hole in the needle. She gives me a warning look before slipping underneath the skin of my cheek. I brace myself for the stinging pain but it never comes. All I feel is a slight tugging sensation, it doesn't hurt but it's uncomfortable and makes my check twitch. I look down to try and see the needle but it's not in my vision, I'm glad that It's not, I have a feeling that I wouldn't like what I saw.

'I'm sorry' my mother says, I look up at her with a half-smile.

'I thought I was doing pretty well, didn't think I was moving much' I admit, she continues sewing my cheek at a slow pace, taking her time.

She shakes her head, 'No, no, the stitches are fine. That's not what I'm sorry for,' she adds a little quieter. I give her a confused look but nod for her to go on. She grabs the scissors and cuts the thread, finishing my stitches. She puts the scissors back down and the needle to the side as she rests her hands on her lap.

'I'm sorry for everything. For leaving when you needed me the most, for not being there when you needed a mother or when you needed help. I'm just…sorry' she continues to stare at her lap as her bottom lip trembles and tears slide down her cheeks.

I think this is the most emotion I've seen her show since dad was alive. She breaks down right in front of me, bursting out in tears. The sobs rack through her body as she tries to utter apologies and practically begs forgiveness.

I don't know what to do; I've never been good with trying to comfort people other than Prim, Gale and his siblings. Seeing my own mother break like this made me realise something. It made me realise that she came back, she left for so long and I've already took it out on her, blaming her and screaming at her. There was always something in me that yearned for a mother, someone to talk to when I needed help or to explain things happened.

There's only a certain amount of time I'll have to spend with her, I can either do that hating her or I could forgive her. Either way, I decide that I would have to make up my mind now. I take another look at her, she reminds me of when Prim would have nightmares. She wake up in the middle of the night screaming and sobbing, I'd sit there holding her and singing to her until she fell asleep again.

I reached forward and gathered my mother up in my arms, her head sobbing into my shoulder. I guess I've unconsciously made up my mind, knowing that she regrets it, that she's sorry for what she's done helps me to forgive her.

Her sobs eventually die down a little so I can make out some words, not that its much use since all she is saying is 'I'm sorry' or 'forgive me'. The room fills with silence as she stops all together. She takes her head from my shoulder and look up at me with tears stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes.

I tell myself that what I'm about to say is for Prim but I know it's not, it's for me as much as it is for her.

'I forgive you, for everything' the tears well up in her eyes, threatening to flow over, I don't think I could take any more water works, so I add, 'as long as you stop crying' she gives a sad little chuckle but hiccups half way through, causing me to smile a little.

Her eyes have a clear question in it, _really?_

I just nod my head. She straightens up in her chair and wipes the tears from her eyes.

'Thank you' she says sincerely, looking like a weight was lifted off her shoulders at my words.

'Don't mention it' I mutter, though I'm sure she heard me.

'I'll gain your trust Katniss, even if it kills me, I'll do whatever it takes for you and Primrose' she promises, I just smile and nod my head, not sure how to respond.

'So what happened out there, what happened to cause this?' she asks, pointing to my sewed up gash on my cheek.

I shrug indecisively, 'I don't know, these people, the just….attacked us' I conclude.

My mother thinks for a moment, 'District Twelve has been perfect with the criminal record but I don't think anyone has been attacked in broad daylight like that' she assumes, shaking her head in what I think is disbelief.

'I don't think so either' I agree.

'Then…I'm not sure, maybe it was just random..?' she asks uncertainly.

'I don't know…maybe,' it seems unlikely that we would be attack like that, what did they want it's not like we had anything on us, maybe Blade had a little money but that's hardly worth killing for, 'I'll have to talk to the Peacekeepers' I say, I hate the idea of talking to them about this, especially if Thread finds out, then I'm screwed. Cray couldn't give less of a fuck and even if Darius cared I don't think he could do shit to anyone or anything for that matter. However Thread already suspects me of almost every offence there was made so I'd rather avoid contact with him.

'Already beat you to it' comes from the door, I don't need to look to know its Blade.

'Who did you tell? What did they say?' I ask quickly, turning to the door where he casually leans against it, playing with his wrist watch.

He holds up a hand, covered in gashes and scratches from the fight, gesturing for me to slow down, 'I told Cray, the head peacekeeper and Romeo, or something like that, was there too. I think someone pissed on his frosted flakes this morning; he was in a shitty mood. Started screaming and saying how we had to take action now and all that shit' knowing that he's talking about Thread, I snort at Blade's jab. Someone must piss in his _frosted flakes_ (whatever that is) everyday then but that was just Thread. Cold, calculated, self-confident and just a plain asshole.

'Sounds like him' I mutter.

'You know him?' Blade questions, glancing from his watch to me.

I shrug, trying to act indifferent but he gives me the '_that's not good enough look'_, so I add 'Not personally' I say a little cautiously.

'Had a run in with him then?' he asks.

I shake my head, 'No, I try and avoid him. He's as bad as they come, he an asshole and vicious. Everyone tries to stay away' _but not every day commits a crime on an almost daily basis_, I add mentally, not even daring to admit it out loud. My mother knows but not Blade, even though I'm growing to like him and maybe even trust him a little, I'm not going to take the chance and tell him, the less people who know the better. My answer seems to be enough, I didn't lie, I just did tell the whole truth.

'So what did they say?' mother asks, saving me from an awkward conversation.

'Said they'd look into it,' he grunts in answer, 'but really, I don't think that they could give two shits, maybe except Romeo' he adds, I laugh at his nickname for Thread. Blade gives me a strange look.

'It's Romulus not Romeo' I correct him.

He shrugs, 'Whatever, Romulus, Romeo, doesn't make a fucking difference' he concludes, mother frowns at his choice of language, I try hid my smile.

'You know, your husband is gonna crack one when he sees you face darlin' he chuckles. The stitches are going to leave a nasty scar and to be honest I forgot about Gale for the moment, I wonder if he's ok…

'Fuck,' I choose not to look at my mother's pointed glare, 'how many times do I have to tell you that he's not my husband. I know, he's going to throw a shit fit' I sigh, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms.

'How are you going to handle him?' he asks, amused. I give him my best, over-practiced glare.

I just shrug, 'Same way I always do' I'll tell him that it's no big deal, he'll get angry, have a rant, be overprotective and then I'll try to calm him down and then that usually leads to sex..

Blade smirks when he sees the bright scarlet blush creeping across my face, 'And how's that darlin?'

My mother frowns, 'Blade, don't be so crude' she chides him.

He waves her off, 'Ah don't worry, just having a bit of fun' he assures.

She rolls her eyes at him and then turns to me and smiles, 'Katniss, why don't you head home? Blade, do you mind taking her back? I don't want another incident to happen' I'm about to protest but I get two warning glares.

Blade walks to my mother and pats her on the back endearingly.

'Sure, hon,' he says, he nods his head back at the door, gesturing me to start walking, 'C'mon Katniss'

(Line Break)

We said nothing on the way home. I told Blade that I was staying at Gale's tonight; he heard me but didn't acknowledge me. He was too concentrated on our surroundings, watching every person and anything that moved, he was on full alert.

My mind went to Gale and the baby. I was trying to figure out when I should tell him. The more I think about it, the harder it is to decide. It would be easy just to tell him when I next see him, I thought about doing that but since he already has enough on his plate, I don't think that I need to add pregnancy to that. My hands nervously rest on the tiny swell on my stomach, twiddling my thumbs.

I realised that it was Gale's birthday in a few days, he'd be eighteen and soon to be father. Maybe it would be a nice present for him; Prim's birthday was only a few days after that, when she found out she was going to be an aunt she'd be ecstatic.

I make my decision that that is when I'd tell them. The timing seemed appropriate and I don't know how much longer I'd be able to hide it from them.

I hadn't noticed when we reached the small house. Rory and prim have been looking after Vick and Posy when Gale and I weren't there. Prim enjoyed spending time with the kids and Rory enjoyed spending time with prim so it worked out well.

Hazelle was getting worse by the day, she could hardly lift a finger without being physically exhausted and breathing was getting harder for her. Her days were numbered. When she passes Gale and I will be there for them, Gale especially will be there to help. They looked up to him so much, the boys wanted to be just like him and little Posy loved him to bits.

'Katniss?' I turn to him.

'Yeah?' I ask, raising an eyebrow.

'Can I ask you a favour?' he asks, we stop in front of the house.

'Depends…' I say, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

He can't meet my eyes, he looks down and kicks an invisible rock, frowning, he speaks, 'This baby…I know I can't replace your father but I want to be a good…grandfather to him or her' he says softly, dropping the cover up attitude. I notice that he doesn't say 'it' like most people would, it makes me smile.

He's right in one aspect. No one could ever replace my father; he was one of a kind.

He notices that I was thinking but add, 'I want to tell them stories and give them presents on birthday's and Christmas. I want to offer advice and help them' he smiles.

This man was offering to help my child, protect it and help Gale and I provide him or her with a better life then we had. How could I deny that? I sit down on the porch and beckon him to join me, when he sits he looks at me expectantly for an answer.

I smile at him, 'offer accepted, gramps' I chuckle nudging his side.

He laughs at his new nickname, 'thanks darlin' he shoots back my own nickname. Blade mentioned that he had a family once or twice. I know he doesn't like to talk about it purely because he's never brought the subject up himself and he seemed reluctant and sad the few time that he did.

The laughter ceases and the atmosphere becomes serious.

'Blade?'

'Yeah?' he answers, leaning back on his palms. I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them.

'What happened to your family?' I ask, the curiosity winning over my common sense. He sighs and sits up; putting his face in his hands and then rests his chin on hand, looking at me.

'Do you know what the dark days are?' he asks.

Not knowing what it has to do with the subject I nod and answer, 'yes, all the districts but 1 and 2 rebelled against the capitol'

'Do you know what they rebelled for?' he asks.

I shake my head, no, 'I didn't pay much attention in class' I admit sheepishly. A ghost of a smile plays on his lips.

'They rebelled because while they were working, struggling to get food on their families table; District 1, 2 and the Capitol were stuffing their faces and living in fancy houses. So the other districts rose against them and the Capitol obviously had to do something about it' he explains, looking out to the front of the house. He hasn't looked at me while he was talking, maybe because he doesn't want me to see his emotions.

'What did they do?' I ask quietly

'Well they destroyed District 13, bombing it, as you know. They also had to do a lot of crowd controlling, killing and threatening. A lot of innocent people died. I was in the Capitol when it happened; my family was driving back to 2 after seeing me. They had to get through a crowd of rebels that, they would've been fine since they were in the car but the Capitol bombed the rebels, killing my family too' he tells me. His face is blank of any emotions, mine however, I'm sure has a horrified expression.

It makes me sick to even think if my family would die like that. Blade's family was innocent and died for a cause that they had no part in; even if it was a worthy cause.

'I'm sorry' I utter, Blade knows what I'm thinking and I'm just making it worse for him.

He shrugs, trying to act indifferently, 'nothing you coulda done kid, you weren't even alive. We can't change the past' he tells me, shaking his head a little.

I give him a sad smile when he finally looks at me, 'Our lives would be different if we could' I say thoughtfully.

I would have my father, my mother would've never left, I would have to fight so hard every day to survive and Prim would have a better life. I feel a tear slip down my cheek at the thought of the possibilities.

Blade gives me a questioning look.

'Sorry, fucking hormones, anything can set me off' I smile at him and he laughs. Seeing me go from teary to happy so quick. The silence washing over as the sun sets on the horizon.

'Did you have children?' I ask him.

He nods, 'Yeah, a boy, only a little kid' he adds on the last part. I try and watch his emotions but I can't read them well, he's covering them. I lay my head to the side on my knees, facing him.

'What was his name?' I ask.

'Razor' he answers. I can't help the small giggle from escaping my lips.

I smile at him and he grins back, 'Blade and Razor, I can see that' I say nodding.

'He was my pride and joy, that kid' he says as his smiles fades.

'What was his mother like?' I ask curiously.

'Beautiful, elegant, graceful. Her name was Cashmere, my father introduced me to her through his work. She was his business partner's daughter' he tells me. His eyes are far away as he speaks, almost as if he's not there.

'Where was she from?'

'District one. Blonde hair, green eyes, that's what Razor looked like. He was a cute kid' he admits, a sad smile crossing his features.

'I'm sure he was' I say, not sarcastically or mean but I can even picture Razor, looking more like Blade than his mother. I suppose that's because I've never seen Cashmere.

'I'm going to protect that kid of yours even if it kills me. I'm not going to let it die as young as my kid did, I'm not going to let you go through that' he tells me, looking me right in the eye now. The intensity and determination I see in him makes me break our eye contact to look at the hard wooden floorboards.

'Thank you' I say softly, barely audible. Blade just nods and stands, giving me a sad honest smile.

'We'll go food shopping tomorrow for those little ones in there' he says, nodding his head towards the house, 'and yourself. There isn't going to be a day where you won't go without at least two meals. I'll make sure to tell your husband that when he knows' he says gesturing to hardly swollen abdomen.

'What are you going to do, force feed me?' I say jokingly.

He smirks, 'if that's what it takes, I'll be here tomorrow' he turns and starts walking back to town.

I pick myself up off the ground, stretching a little as I do, 'Night gramps' I call over my shoulder.

'Night darlin' I hear him shout back, I laugh.

Now I just had to wait for Gale to come home from the Mines.

**AN: Sorry it was short. This also maybe the last time I can update before I leave. My birthday is on the 29****th**** and on the 30****th**** I'm leaving to do some horse riding for state. The event ends on the 5****th**** of January so I should be back in a week or two. I'll try update again but if I do it will be short, sorry. **

**So, what do you guys think about Blade opening up a little and Katniss forgiving her mother? **

**Love to hear your thoughts!**

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I LOVE YOU!**

**I want 6 reviews and then I'll update please! : )**

**-J **


	16. Chapter 16

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: Shit guys, I'm so fucking sorry. I didn't mean to leave the next update for this long, like a month but y'know how it is, shit happens and life gets in the way. Any way here the next chapter, sorry for the bitch of a wait. **

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie121 (check out her ff's!). Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 16

_**Previously **_

_Now I just had to wait for Gale to come home from the Mines. _

**Katniss's POV **

Gale came home at midnight that day. I sat in the kitchen, fiddling impatiently with a hot cup of tea. Feeding the kids and getting them into bed was a good distraction for a short time. Prim and I had taken up residence in the Hawthorne house, even though Blade and my mother have left to their own home now, I thought it would be good for all of us to be together considering that Gale's mother was dying slowly.

It took my mind off worrying why Gale wasn't home yet, but unfortunately my mind's escape didn't last very long that was until I decided to talk to Hazelle.

She didn't have to say anything for me to see that she knows about my condition, I could just see it in her eyes. I doubt Blade or my mother said anything to her about it, so I wasn't angry that she knew, she was basically my mother. Also considering that she had had four children of her own I guessed that it wasn't hard for her to figure it out, I'm just glad that Gale hasn't notice the signs yet and that she hasn't told him.

We didn't talk about anything of significance. Just of school, the kids, she asked how my mother and Blade are. It wasn't long until Hazelle grew weary and couldn't keep up a conversation any longer, so I bid her goodnight and left her to sleep.

It was a few minutes past midnight and I was falling asleep on an uncomfortable chair in the kitchen when the door opened.

The Gale that walked through the door was different to the one who walked out. He was black with soot and coal, his body covered and slick with sweat. His hair almost black with ask and other unidentified substances. His face was worn and weary as his body was exhausted and battered.

'Hi' he says when he sees me at the kitchen table.

'Hey, how was work?' I ask.

'Exhausting, they're working all the younger and stronger ones harder than anyone else. It feels like my muscles are about to break,' he explains, sighing. I nod in understanding.

'Didn't have to wait up for me Catnip,' he says giving me a tired smile.

'I wanted to make sure that you got home ok,' I answered, standing up and walking over to embrace him.

'Well, I'm home and I'm fine, nothing to worry about,' he says, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my head. I nod into his chest sleepily.

'Sleep?' he asks. I pull back to look at him, giving him a grateful smile and a nod.

'Shouldn't you wash or something?' I asked, looking at the black foot prints that trailed behind him, ones that I would have to clean tomorrow.

'I will before I go tomorrow, I'm too tired now,' he says as we made our way to his bedroom. He discards his dirty work clothes in the middle of the floor and gets changed into some black boxers.

I do the same, changing out of my clothes into one of Gale's shirts and just settle with underpants. I take my bra off and sigh in relief, ever since being pregnant bras have been getting painful. The shirt conceals the tiny swell of my stomach well.

'Ya know if I wasn't so damn tired I think I would enjoy this sight a lot more' Gale grins from the bed, he hands behind his head. I grin back sleepily as I climb into bed with him, curled into his side and placing my head on his chest.

'And I think I would appreciate the fact that you're not wearing a bra a lot more too' he chuckles. I slap his chest lightly and laugh a little myself.

'Don't go tomorrow Gale, I want to wake up with you here, knowing that your safe,' I tell him quietly.

'I have to Catnip, we need money,' he says.

'I need you more then I need money,' I counter.

Gale sighs, 'and I need you more than anything, that's why I'm doing this Katniss, for us,'

Then I start crying, the tears slide down my cheek and drop onto Gale's hard chest. He shifts under me and brings my face up to his.

'Hey, why are you crying?' he asks, worried. I almost curse my pregnancy hormones out loud….almost.

I shake my head, 'I just don't want you to get hurt….not like our fathers,' I tell him. It's mostly true, I don't want him to die or get hurt but it's the hormones that are mainly making me cry like this.

'Oh Katniss, c'mon, don't worry about that, the mines are more stable now and that was over ten years ago. Things have been improved. I promise that as long as you want me too, I'll always come back,' he vows, which makes me cry even harder.

'Did-did I say something…wrong?' he asks uncertainly. He puts his chin on top of my head and strokes my hair soothingly.

'No, no, you're just so sweet and strong and….' I blubber, as I try to calm myself down a bit.

Gales laughs, 'that's why you're crying?'

My sadness suddenly turns to anger as I shout at him, 'It's not funny!' I hit his chest but this time a lot harder.

'Ow! What was that for?!' he asks but a smile still plays around his lips.

'You were making fun of me! I'm not weak!' I shout at him. He pulls back to look at me, all amusement disappears from his features as frustrated tears runs down my cheeks and he realizes that I'm being serious.

'I know you're not weak. Almost the whole of District 12 knows you're not weak; you're the strongest person I know. You have to know that and I was only joking' he tells me with intensity, I only nod. He pulls me back to him and kisses my forehead.

'Let's go to sleep, I need as much as I can get' he says, closing his eyes.

'I love you' I say.

'I love you too' he answers.

One question pops into my mind at his response,

_How much will he love me when he finds out about this baby….?_

(Line break)

**Time skip, a few days (sorry but nothing much happens between then and now : )**

Gale has been working for almost a week now, it was the same every day: I would wake up to an empty bed, I'd spend all day trying to distract myself from worrying about Gale, I would stay up until he came home, then we went to sleep.

I started to feel the effects of the pregnancy more and more every day. I became more sore and tired, my breasts are swelling just a little and I have to pee all the time. I hated it; it made me feel weak and useless and quite frankly it just pissed me off.

One reason to be glad that Gale left early was that when I woke up some days, I would feel nauseated, sometimes it would pass and I'd feel better but majority of those times I would end up throwing up. Most times it was the smell of food that would trigger the sickness. After this had been going on for a number of days I decided that it would be in the best interest of me and my baby if I saw a doctor. The only person that came to mind was my mother, she was the only person I knew that was close to a doctor (besides Prim), she used to be District 12's best healer and one of the very few.

So here I am, standing on my mother's doorstep in the windy weather about to ask for her help, something I'd never thought I'd do in my lifetime.

I take a deep breath to compose myself,

_Breath, Katniss, Breath_, I tell myself.

After considering leaving to find another healer or doctor, or trying to convince myself that I didn't need to get a check-up but I follow my better judgement and knock on the door, knowing it's the safest thing for me and my child.

My mother answers the door. Her hair ties up into a neat bun, with a few blonde wisps framing her face. She's wearing a light green cotton dress with a cream cardigan and she looks….healthy and alive.

'Oh, Katniss, dear,' she says, surprised to see me, 'oh! Quick get out of this weather, you can't afford to get sick,' she says hurriedly, ushering me through the door and into the warmth of the house. She closes the door behind us and gestures towards the kitchen, which is where I walk to.

We both take a seat at the mahogany table, across from each other. I clasp my hands together in front of me, twiddling my thumbs nervously, and an annoying habit.

She reaches across the table and covers my hands with hers, stopping my thumbs from moving.

'Katniss, why don't you tell me why you're here,' she says and I look up at her, 'I mean, I'm glad you're here and everything though' she adds quickly, stuttering. Maybe she was as nervous as I felt; we were both trying to adjust to our new relationship…so to speak.

I plastered a small smile on my face, which even I know wasn't convincing, 'I wants to ask you for a favour,' I say the words struggle to leave my lips and felt like acid on my tongue.

I hated owing people; it's not in my nature to ask favours or for help. To me it seemed when you asked something of someone. To me it seemed when you asked something of someone it would always come back to bite you on the ass. I already owed to many people enough and I didn't want to add this to the list but I reminded myself that this was for my child and more importantly, Gale's child.

'What do you need?' she asks, not cautiously but eagerly. I try to think of what to ask, or more specifically, how to word it.

'This baby- I don't know anything…in the medical aspect' I tell her slowly. She smiles brightly and her eyes light up like a little kid in a lolly shop at my request.

'Would you like me to do a check up on you then?' she asks, still smiling.

I nod, 'well, not me, the baby' I add, just to be clear.

'Katniss for up until the time you deliver, you and your child will be one….you'll be the same person I guess you could say. Whatever you do, whether good or bad, it will either affect the baby positively or negatively' she explains, I nod slowly, taking in the information.

'Ok'

With that my mother leads me upstairs, 'you'll see' she tells me when she sees the confusion spread across my face.

She led us into the third room on the right. She opens the door letting me in first.

The room was large and bright white. There is a chair in the middle, one that you lay on and it looks like it may be like a bed kind of thing and an uncomfortable looking one at that. There is a chair placed next to it, along with a large machine.

There are supplies on the benches around the room, with a sink and many drawers which probably are all filled with supplies of some kind too.

I'd never seen one before but if I had to take a guess, I'd say this is some kind of medical room.

'What is this room?' I ask after surveying the room.

'it's a fertility station, it can be used for other emergencies and is fully equipped but in this case, it's purely for your pregnancy check ups' she informs me, walking into the room and taking the seat in front of the machine.

'Pregnancy check-up_s_?' I ask, putting the emphasis on the plural.

She nods, 'you'll have to come back one week for regular check-ups, to see how the baby is, if it's developing at the rate it should, that kind of thing' she says. I only nod, still standing in the doorway; she beckons me over, gesturing for me to lay down on the uncomfortable-looking-chair.

I hesitantly follow her and take a seat, propping my feet up on the chair and lay back.

I take another look around the room. Expensive looking machines, big and small, spread throughout the room. Charts cover the walls, diagrams of the human body, muscles and other things that I don't recognise.

'Blade?' I ask her as she sets up the machine beside me.

'Blade' she confirms with a nod.

I roll my eyes but it gets me thinking, maybe Blade was being one hundred percent genuine when he said he wanted to be a grandfather to my baby.

She sees my eyes roll and chuckles. I raise an eyebrow at her in question.

'he comes off as cocky and arrogant but he means well' she answers, smiling while she clicks a few last buttons and then grabs a pen and paper, starting to fill and write things out.

'So, how'd you two meet?' I ask, I figured it would be somewhere to start. The silence was uncomfortable and if my mother was going to be poking and probing around my body, I'd rather be as distracted as possible.

'At the hospital, in District 1,' she answers, filling out more of the sheet, I raise my eyebrow again, gesturing for her to elaborate. She holds a finger up, silently telling me to wait.

'When's the last time you had your period?' she asks, looking up at me from the paper.

My eyes widen and my cheeks redden at the personal question, 'huh? What-um about three, maybe four weeks ago,' I tell her, 'but it's never been regular' I add quickly. I feel cheeks flushing even more but she only nods and proceeds to fill more of the paper out.

'Did he tell you about his family?' she asks, not pausing or looking up from her scribbling. It takes me a second to realise that she's talking about Blade again.

'Um yeah, he said they were killed in an explosion in the dark days,' I say.

'Yeah, a District 13 bomb hit their car driving back from the Capitol. His wife, Cashmere, was killed instantly, they couldn't find her remains in the wreckage, but his son by some miracle, survived,' she says.

'But you were still….here, during the dark days, how do you know this?' I asked, confused.

'Blade's son, Razor, had survived. At the time they thought he may even recover. He had extensive injuries but the Capitol had medicine to help it, it took years to heal and he was on life support ever since he reached to hospital. That's when I got there; he was still on life support so many years later, Blade refused to give up on him. No one was ever able to convince him to just let go, many had tried. I was assigned to look after Razor after the previous nurse retired, no one else wanted to take the job, so I did,' she says, putting down the pen and paper to look at me.

'So I'm guessing you somehow broke his trance and finally convinced him to do what no one else could?' I ask, a bit sarcastically.

She laughs, 'no, far from it. I was there for a few weeks by then and I'd hardly spoken a word to Blade, he was there every other day. One day we just got talking about our families, I...told him about you and Prim and how much I missed you and how I hated leaving you alone,' I clenched my jaw and my lips hardened into a straight line when she says this, she sees my reaction and hurries on, 'he told me about Cashmere and the bomb even though I'd heard it from another nurse. I told him about our….situation and how your father died and I left you kids defenceless and starving,' she stops briefly.

'I didn't know why I told him what I did but after a while of thinking about it I figured that we just both really needed to talk to someone about our families and our situations, even though they were different. We'd talked for months on end, we knew almost everything about each other, it was nice to talk to someone, someone who wanted to listen to me as much as I did to them,' she says.

'….what about his son though?' I ask curiosity was eating at me.

'One day after I told him about how much I hated myself for leaving, I came into work to check on Razor but he wasn't there. I asked the desk and the head doctor but I was told to speak to Blade. When I did he said,

"_I let him go, it's what he would've wanted, if he was going to wake up, he would've done it years ago, there's no point in stringing him along…putting hope in something that's hopeless."_

'That's when he got down on one knee and proposed. We hadn't even gone on one date before but I already felt I'd known him all my life. He was the one the encouraged me to come back here, I was going to a long time ago but I was too much of a coward. Blade said that maybe we could be a family again.'

Tears slide down my cheeks as I listened to Blade's story in more depth but I couldn't help but think

_What about dad? Was he just another one dead? Dead and forgotten?_

Almost as if she read my mine she says, 'I won't ever forget your father, he'll always have a place in my heart. You're so much like him, I see him in you, and it means I'll never forget him, ever' she says, her eyes finding the floor. I feel more tears slide down my face as I silently curse pregnancy hormones.

My mother smiles in understanding, 'we'll get on with this shall we?' I nod in agreement.

She asked about my diet, when I got sick and threw up and a lot of other confusing questions. After about half an hour of questioning and her writing down some of my answers and additional notes we were done.

I was at the front door now, just leaving before I was stopped.

'Oh Katniss! I almost forgot you can't go hunting anymore' she tells me. First I feel disappointment but that's quickly replaced with anger.

'What! Why?' I demanded.

'Because strenuous exercise isn't good for the baby, if you want to exercise then go for a walk or something but not archery and no climbing trees' she tells me sternly.

'Well how the hell am I supposed to feed my family?!' I shout at her.

'Blade and I will buy for you, all of you' she says.

'Well maybe I don't want your charity,' I growl at her, 'oh and just so you know, just because I forgave you don't me that I forgot what you did and it sure as hell doesn't mean that I trust you' I snarl. I don't wait for her to answer or to react; I turn on my heel and walk away.

(Line break)

I needed to time to think.

I didn't need to think about anything in particular, just…mull over what's happened the past few weeks, with no interruptions. Somewhere quiet, somewhere no one else will be and there's only one place in _my_ world that I could think of.

My woods.

So that's where I went, I wasn't just doing this in spite of my mother. I wasn't here just because I wanted to do the opposite to what she said.

To my mother, she said, _you can't hunt anymore._

To me it felt like she might as well have said, _no more peace, no more sanctuary, no more fun._

Ok, so that might be exaggerating a bit but that's what it felt like. Banning me from hunting was like tell a bird it's not allowed to fly or a fish that it isn't allowed to swim.

But there's the thing: a bird has to fly, a fish has to swim and I have to hunt.

I grabbed my bow and arrows from the hollowed log that I hide it in. I brush some leaves and dirt off it and begin walking through the woods.

I could hear the wind shaking the leaves, the animals scrambling on the forest floor as I stepped silently through the trees, listening, observing, hunting.

The birds squawked as they flew in the canopy, settling in their nests, feeding their young. A bush rustles beside me, I pull an arrow out of my quiver, string it, aim, release, all in a matter of seconds. I soundlessly thread towards my aim, pushing the shrub out of the way to see that I shot a nice, fat rabbit. I pull the arrow out, wipe the blood on the ground and put the game in my bag.

I hunt until I have 3 rabbits and 3 squirrels, I decide that would be enough for today, so I made my way to Gale and I's rock to think.

My mother told me that I was around three to four weeks pregnant. She also told me that she could find out the baby's sex if I wanted but not just yet. That got me thinking, whether I wanted a boy or a girl. Doesn't matter what gender the baby turned out to be I knew what it would look like, grey eyes and dark brown hair was going to be inevitable.

When I pictured my child, I saw a little boy, with Gale's jaw, our eyes, our hair, Gale's height and my stealth and hopefully our hunting skills. I dreaded to think of the attitude he will have, if he is anything like his parents then he'll be, stubborn, angry, have a lack of patience, the whole package. I chuckle, thinking of how much of a handful he'll be.

'Get any good game today?' a voice asks behind me. I whip around and stand up, leaving the bad and my bow and arrow on the ground. I run and fling myself into Gale's arms.

'Gale!' I shout excitedly.

He laughs, 'looks like I've been missed' he says, picking me up and spins me around, I laugh with him. Surprisingly the spinning didn't make me sick.

'You have no idea,' I say, as he puts me down, grinning up at him.

'C'mon Catnip, you saw me last night,' he grins back at me.

I roll my eyes at him, putting my arms around his neck, 'hardly,'

He chuckles, 'ok, ok, I guess not but I'm here now' and that he was.

I feel the tears welling up in my eyes before they fall, so I pull him into another hug, hoping I can get it under control before he saw but when the tears starting dripping on his shirt, soaking it, he did notice.

'Hey, what's wrong?' he asks, pulling out of the embrace and putting his hands on my face to whip away the tears.

'I'm just…just really happy to see you. Y'know, in the daylight,' he laughs and I smile, wiping my eyes, surprised that my emotions could change so quickly. Which reminded me, I needed to apologize to my mother about getting angry. His face had smears of black soot everywhere, his hair look darker and he looked tired but excited.

'I got the afternoon off,' he beams at me, his arms circling around my waist.

'How?' I ask.

'Because I've been working extra hours so I could spend an afternoon with you,' he grins at me, pulling me closer.

I smirk, 'couldn't wait until Sunday?' I tease, tightening my arms around his neck.

He lowers his head so that his lips are right beside me ear and whispers, 'Catnip, I couldn't wait another minute,' that sends shivers throughout my whole body and I could feel the hormones come alive.

Before I attack him, I somehow manage to say, 'then we better not keep you waiting, you deserve it for all your _hard_ work' I tried to be seductive or sexy and I have a feeling it worked because as soon as the words left my mouth, Gale's lips were on mine in an instant.

He kisses me roughly but passionately and it feels so good. I tangle my hands in his hair, pressing him against me even harder. He does the same, his grip tightening around me waist, grinding our hips together.

I tilt my head back, Gale takes the chance and moves from my mouth to my neck, biting, sucking, kissing. I moan when he bites me lightly, sending electricity through my body.

He unbuttons my shirt, and unclasps my bra quickly, taking them off. He takes my nipple into his mouth, sucking and nibbling while massaging the other one with his palm. I moan, placing my leg between his and massaging his now growing bulge. He groans, his voice vibrating my skin, causing me to moan loudly.

I pull him up for a second, just to take off his shirt. Once it's off, he makes work at my pants and I return the favour, undoing his belt and button. We both quickly pull off our remaining clothes. Gale picks me up and lays me down on the ground, while I giggled.

He grins as he hovers over me, placing kisses all over my body, nipping every once in a while. His arm by my head, supporting him and the other lightly trailing up my thigh, making me whimper in anticipation. I could feel him grin against my skin. My body was raging with want, lust, desire, and mostly hormones.

Gale's hand slides up even further, I cry out when he slips a finger into me, then two. He groans when I take my nails down his back, hard enough to leave marks but not to draw blood.

'Now Gale' I hiss in his ear, he nods.

He positions himself over me, slipping in with ease. We both moan at the contact, it feels so good, like bliss. He grinds his hips against mine slow at first but as the pace builds I raise my hips to meet his thrusts, when I do he groans loudly and bit my shoulder, hard.

We become more frantic, seeking our release and when I'm close, on the edge, he slows down. A foreign sound rips through my throat, almost like a snarl or a growl, a sound of disapproval. I push him over onto his back, and climb onto of him. He looks shocked and surprised.

I lean down to his ear and whisper, 'you're not making me wait either'

He smirks and I can see that he thinks that this is a challenge now but all I care about right now is my release and his. I pick up the pace again, rising and falling faster than I ever thought I could. I throw my head back in pleasure when Gale's hand finds my breast and the other finds my bundle of nerves, both groping and rubbing.

It doesn't take long until I'm pushes over the edge, I lean back, giving a new position and I feel a sharp pain of pleasure and I come. Gale follows shortly after, but helps me ride out my orgasm.

I collapse on him, exhausted and panting. We lay there for who knows how long, catching out breath, just resting before either of us spoke.

'I love sex in the woods,' he says quietly but I crack up laughing, he grins at me like an idiot.

'So do I, we should do it more often,' I suggest.

His grin seems to get larger, 'I have no objections, and if my hot girlfriend wants to have sex in the woods then we'll have sex in the woods' he declares, making me laugh again.

I whisper in his ear, 'birthday sex will be much, much better' I see him visibly gulp, trying to keep himself under control.

'I'm sure it'll be mind-blowing,' he says, smirking, 'but for now, home?' he asks.

'Home' I say with a nod.

We slowly get up, dusting the leaves and dirt off our bodies as we gather our clothes. I grab my shirt, bra and pants but can't find where I threw my underpants.

'Gale, can you see-' I start.

He cuts me off, 'looking for these?' he asks, holding them up. I nod but he shakes his head.

'What-' I begin to ask but his answer is just shoving them in his pocket with the stupidest grin on his face.

'You're disgusting' I say, wrinkling my nose.

'Just easier access for later' he says with a wink and I scoff. I put on my pants, feeling awkward and grab my bow and game bag.

'Let's just go before I deny you sex for the rest of your life' I say taunting him.

'Oh c'mon catnip, you're not that cruel' he whines playfully.

I raise my eyebrows and challenge him, 'Try me'

He backs down, shoving my underpants back into my pocket with a sad playful smile.

I laugh and start walking home.

**AN: ok so there's chapter 16. Tell me what you think. Thanks to everyone who followed, favourite, reviewed and the ones who stuck with me even though I took ages to update, thanks!**

**Next chapter will be up earlier than this one took! Promise!**

**Review! **

**-J**


	17. Chapter 17

Hunger Games Fanfic- The Complications

**AN: Hey guys, sorry another late update but at least it here. I re-wrote this chapter a few times and I'm still not that happy with the outcome of it but let me know what you thought of it. I also change the summary for this because I didn't like it, and I deleted the authors note so this is a proper chapter!**

**I accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but no haters please. Thanks to my Beta Frenchie121 (check out her ff's!). Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

Chapter 17

_**Previously **_

_I laugh and start walking home. _

**Katniss's POV **

I step into the warm, inviting space that is district 12's bakery. Walking up to the counter and ringing the bell for assistance, Peeta comes out from the back of the bakery, wearing a bright and happy smile when he sees me.

'Katniss! I have seen you in ages!' he exclaims, coming over to the customer side of the counter, embracing me in a bear hug.

'Peeta, gently,' I tell him, thinking of the baby.

He blushes and releases me, 'Sorry, how have you been?' he asks.

'Great, actually and it hasn't been that long since I last saw you,' I point out but smiling nonetheless.

'Yeah, well, it feels like forever,' he says.

'Yeah it has,' I agree. I take the chance to look at him. Smudges of flour all over his face, dressed in his normal clothes with an apron on but all in all he's looking good and healthy.

'So what can I do for ya?' he asks.

'Am I not allowed to visit?' I tease him.

His face turns confused and then apologetic, 'Oh, no, of course you can Katniss, I love seeing you and-' he babbles.

I can't help the grin that spreads across my face, 'Calm down Peeta, I'm kidding,' I interrupt him, he sighs and then laughs.

'I was actually wondering if I could have a cake made?' I request.

He gives me a curious look, 'Sure….what's the occasion, if you don't mind me asking?'

'It's Gale's birthday in two days, and don't worry I have money to pay for it,' I explain. His smile falters for a second, just a second before he recovers again, he probably didn't think I saw it…but I did. I feel the guilt knowing at me but I don't let it get to me, we were supposed to be friends, Peeta and I, it was never anything else or more. I wipe the thoughts aside and focus again.

He arches an eyebrow, in curiosity or question, probably both, 'Blade,' I say with a shrug. That's becoming a regular explanation for me these days.

'Ah,' he say in understanding, 'so any preferences to what kind of cake you want?' he asks, stepping back behind the counter.

'Um, I don't know much about it but I head that chocolate is pretty good…?' I ask, unsure.

Peeta grins, 'Well you heard right,'

'Ok, chocolate then,' I confirm.

'Do you want it today or tomorrow?' he asks.

'Um, I think on the day would be better, it would be nicer when it's fresh, right?' I ask unsurely.

He nods, 'Yeah, it is, do want a message to be put on it?'

'_Happy 18__th__ birthday Gale_, is that ok?' the message is simple enough; it didn't need to be anything fancy.

He scribbles the message and order on a 'Special Order' note pad, 'and do you want any designs or anything else specific?' he asks, looking up from the paper.

I shake my head, 'No, that's fine as it is, thank,' I tell him.

'Ok, and would you like it delivered?' I expected smile to falter or some sourness seep through his voice at the thought of having to deliver Gale's birthday cake let alone having to make it. But it doesn't, his smile is genuine and his voice is as bright as ever. I don't know why I keep expecting Peeta to go on a Gale-hating rampage, he's only ever sees the good in people.

Peeta and Gale still weren't on the friendliest terms, not that they ever were to begin with but I could see that Peeta was making an effort. I think that if Gale wasn't so stubborn and if Peeta didn't like me a bit _too_ much then they could be great friends.

'No, I'll pick it up Gale should be working anyway,' I insist.

'Alright but if you don't mind me asking, could I drop in on the day? Ya know, to say hi and wish Gale happy birthday?' he looks like he's expecting a flat out no.

'Yeah sure, Prim'll be happy to see you anyway, you can stay for dinner too if you like?' I offer.

'That'd be great,' he smiles, 'Prim was actually in here the other day with Rory, looking at the cakes' he informs me.

Prim always loved looking at the cakes from the Mellark's bakery, she'd drag me or dad in there almost every day when she was little.

'Old habits die hard, I guess' I mutter.

'I guess they do,' he chuckles, 'and if you really do look great if you don't mind me saying. Healthier too, you look like you put a bit more weight on,' he comments thoughtfully.

'Are you saying to look fat now?' I demand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. I can even feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

He seems taken aback that I was about to cry, 'What! No! No, I mean a good amount of weight, you just look….glowing. I from know any other way to put it,' he admits, his cheeks tinged red a little.

Subconsciously my hands go to my stomach where my unborn child was growing.

Peeta's eyes widen and look between my face and my slightly swollen stomach where my hands rest.

'Wait….weight….glowing….crying-….you-you're not….?' He stutters and jumbles as he (to my horror and annoyance) put the puzzle pieces together.

He takes a moment to compose himself, 'Katniss, are you…pregnant?' he asks, only seriousness evident in his voice.

'No.' I lie straight to his face.

Peeta smiles weakly, 'You've always been a terrible liar, Katniss,'; he says and the smile vanishes, it's strange seeing him not smile, even if was a sad one.

'So what if I am?' I snap angrily. Why does he care? It's got nothing to do with him anyway, even if he is my friend.

'Nothing, it's just…does he know?' he asks.

I look at him with a confused expression, 'Gale' he adds.

I roll my eyes as if it was stupid to even ask the question, 'Actually, don't worry, it's none of my business anyway,' he says, probably thinking my eye-roll was directed at him.

Despite him now not wanting to know I say with a sigh, 'No, he doesn't'

'Why not?'

'Because…because I'm scared. What if he'll hate me for it? What if doesn't want it or me anymore?' I start to sob. Peeta comes to me and wraps me in a warm embrace.

Peeta hugs me a little tighter and speaks softly in my ear, 'Katniss, whether this helps or not, if it was me, I'd be happy as hell.' His smile faltered a little as he speaks softly, 'If it was me…I'd want to know if I was going to be a father…'

I pull away from him, 'It doesn't help Peeta! I don't know what to do anymore!' I yell at him.

'Do what you think is right, Katniss' he suggests.

'What if I don't know what's right and what's wrong anymore?' I challenge.

He thinks for a minute, unsure of what to say, 'When I was little, my father always used to tell me to trust my instincts and my heart. My heart would know what was right and my instincts would help me follow it' he says wisely. Peeta was wise always knowing what to do in dire circumstances, always calm and insightful. Its something that I admired about him.

'Yeah but _how_ do you know what your heart is telling you?'

'I don't know how to answer that for you, I think everyone is different. You're a smart person Katniss, I'm sure you can figure it out' he encouraged, smiling warmly.

I nod, smiling back, 'sorry, by the way…about you finding out that way. I would've told you…eventually' I add.

He chuckles, 'Yes eventually, you would've'

I pull him into a hug and he wraps his arms around me.

'Thank you Peeta' I tell him sincerely.

'Anytime,' he grinned at me, 'but just a piece of advice Katniss, Gale's the oldest of four and if he already hasn't figured it out, he will and soon. You have to tell him before he figures it out'

(Line Break)

Peeta gave me a lot to think about once I left the bakery.

There were loads of questions running through my head, questions that I didn't have the answers for.

_Would Gale want to know if he was a father? How would he react? Would he hate me? _

I hated not knowing what was going to happen. I hated having so many questions swimming around my head and not having the answers to them.

I felt guilty about not telling Gale about this baby as soon as I knew. Maybe that's what my heart was saying, that I needed to tell Gale and I needed to tell him soon, it is his child too, after all. I don't want to imagine how much worse it will be if he figures it out on his own.

I continued my shopping, my brain was going into overdrive and I just needed something simple to keep me distracted. I need to stop worry about things that aren't in my control.

I bought food that would last us for the next couple days. I also bought Prim's birthday present, a beautiful light blue dress that would end at her knees with a delicate pattern of Primroses on it. I was quite proud of myself, she'll finally look like a proper, beautiful merchant girl that she was always destined to be.

But now I was hunting for a present for Gale. I didn't know how he would react to the baby so I wanted a present that he could unwrap on the day.

I've looked in clothing stores, the Hob and I was thinking of visiting Ripper but thought better of it, after the last time we got a bit drunk, so I move on and think harder.

Luckily, a light bulb goes off in my head and I know what Gale's present is going to be.

**Gale's POV**

I was worried.

Actually, who was I kidding? I was shitting bricks. One minute Katniss looked like she was going to rip my head off and the next she was crying because she was _happy_?

At first I thought it might've been PMS or some chick thing like that, or maybe stress but I've hardly seen her cry _sad_ tears, and almost never _happy_ ones.

Then her mood swings haven't improved, if anything they're just getting worse. Maybe it should be the after effects of being sick or something. Whatever it was/or is, I need to know and I need to find a way to fix it.

I thought, at a point, that maybe she was acting weird around me because she was going to leave me, becoming distant and it killed me just to think it. When the thought passed my mine, I felt guilty, for thinking that Katniss could be that cruel, she was selfless and there's no way she'd leave her family. Luckily for me, I was counted in that category, well, as far as I knew.

When I took the other day off work, I wanted to talk to her about it, find out what's wrong, if she was ok. I wanted to know what was making her act this way, I just….wanted to know. That didn't work as well as I planned, not worse or better…just not as I planned. I wanted her to talk to me, to communicate, like we did before I only got see her at night and on Sundays.

To top it all off, Blade wants to buy us food, and Katniss seems to trust him to an extent but this is _my_ family and I'm the one that's going to support then in the long run. I don't know what game Blade's playing at but I'm sure as hell going to find out.

I don't trust him, everything that he did, everything that he's done, I'm questioning. I refuse to believe that the man has any good in him, not without something being in it for him. Of course I haven't brought it up with Katniss either, I'd just get my head bitten off by her, that much I do know. I don't know what he did to Katniss to make her trust him, or be nicer to him but I'm not falling for it, I can see right through him.

That made me worry even more, for the kids, for Clara (Katniss's mother) but mostly for Katniss herself. She's never let anyone in so easily. To me Blade got in without a hitch, it took me longer than that to gain her trust and I'm her best friend, he's just a District 2 stanger. It's not like she's happy to see him all the time, they butt heads regularly but she's says she doesn't trust him and I can see she's lying through her teeth, she's never been good at it. All in all, it pisses me off. He pisses me off.

There's just something about him…something that seems so off, I have this feeling…like he's not who he claims to be.

(Line Break)

So I decided I'm quitting.

I realised that the best way I can protect my family is to be with them, to be closer to them. Its two days before my birthday and I have a few people I need to speak to, the first being Thom.

He wasn't hard to find once I got to the mines, I knew where his work section was and how to get to it, I should know because it was right next to where I worked.

So I navigated my way through the underground labyrinth, trying not to inhale the soot and smoke that polluted the air. I pass by my soon to be ex-co-workers, hammering away at the rock furiously, sweating from the heat and black with coal. Some say that they pretended the rock was the Capitol, so the way they thought about it, they were hurting the Capitol to feed their families.

I thought it was stupid at first, that you couldn't just pretend that the capitol was a piece of rock, that you could defeat them that easily. Despite my criticism I tried it one day and I realised what this was to these men, a vent. A way to take their anger out on the capitol without getting themselves killed. I thought I was the only one who felt this one, but I soon realised that the only ones who do love the capitol are the ones who never had to fight for what little they have.

Soon I spotted Thom's no so unusual brown hair and grey eyes, which were intently focused on the job at hand.

'Thom' I said but my voice was drowned out over the sound of hammers hitting rock.

'Thom!' I shout, but he still couldn't hear me. I step closer to him, careful to avoid the backswing of his steel pickaxe. I wait for the right moment to hit him on the shoulder to get his attention and I do.

He jumps a bit, 'Gale! You scared the shit outta me!' he shouts over the noise, wiping the sweat off his brow.

'Hey man, I need to talk to you' I tell him, pointing upwards, wanting to talk above ground so we don't have to shout.

He seems to understand, 'Can it wait?'

'No' I shake my head.

He nods, putting his tools in his belt before walking towards the exit leading up to the surface. It takes a few minutes to get there but when we do Thom turns around and gives me an accusing look.

'You're quitting, aren't you?' he asks, raising an eyebrow.

My brows knit together, 'Umm yeah, how'd you know?'

'Haven't exactly been on your game the past couple days I was expecting this sooner actually' he comments.

'So you're ok with this?' I ask.

'Dude, I haven't got a say on what you do, it was just nice to have some fresh muscle around here for once. Gonna suck to let you go' he says, huffing.

'Well, that was easier than I thought it would be,' I say, letting out a breath, he laughs.

'Stay safe Gale and don't do anything stupid' he winks, grinning.

I roll my eyes, 'I'll try but same goes for you' I say point at him.

He nods, 'Hope to see you round but I gotta get back' he says, nodding his head back to the entrance.

I give him a one-armed man hug, 'Yeah, see you around'

He gives one last half wave and disappears back into that hell-hole they call the coal mines.

(Line Break)

'Gale, what a nice surprise' Katniss's mother exclaims.

I stand there awkwardly at the door of her house, unsure what to say, 'um…hello Mrs Everdeen' I say politely.

'Oh please, call me Clara, come in' she smiles, opening the door wider for me; I step around her and stand in the hallway before she leads me into the kitchen.

'So I assume didn't come just to visit?' she asks, taking a seat and gesturing for me to do the same, I do.

'No, I wanted to ask about Katniss' I get to the point, she's her mother, she must know something about why Katniss is acting so strange.

Her eyes widen a bit, like she's been caught off guard but she quickly covers it up, maybe Katniss didn't get all her skills from her father.

'I'm not sure what I would know that you don't' she answers, her voice calm and steady, no hint of any other emotion.

'Do you know why she's acting so strange?'

'Strange how?'

'Just…not herself. She's been having mood swings and she's been tired. I thought I was just the after effects of being sick and then maybe just a uh-….women problem but it's been going on for too long to be either of those' I explain.

'I don't know anything about it, maybe its stress' she suggests.

'Maybe' I answer, not convinced in the slightest. Katniss is too strong to be controlled by stress like that, she wouldn't let it happen.

There's a minutes of silence, 'Well, Gale, I'm sorry to do this but I have to get back to something, otherwise I'd ask you to stay' I nod in understanding.

'It's fine, I can't stay any longer anyway, I need to be somewhere' I answer, standing and walking to the door.

'Thank you, anyway' I say, not forgetting my manners.

She smile, tucking a strange of her hair behind her ear and opens the door for me. Before I'm even five feet from the house, she gets my attention.

'Gale, you the oldest of four, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already' with that said she closes the door, leaving me confused on the street.

I think she just more or less confirmed my suspicions.

(Line Break)

I went home after that, figuring I had gotten enough information to have more of an idea of what was going on with Katniss but nothing was set in concrete. I doubted that my assumptions were right in the first place because I know that she would never want this, she never did. I'm going to confront her about to though, I want to know, plus I wanted to tell Katniss I'd be around more often now, since I'm currently jobless.

From a distance I see Katniss sitting on the doorstep, her head resting on her knees, curled in a ball. I picked up the pace a bit, starting to jog. I was eager to tell her that I could spend more time with her now.

I didn't worrying about muting the noise of my foot steps and with her huntress hearing she sees me coming. I get closer and closer to find that she might not be happy about me quitting or anything at the moment, she's already crying.

_Another mood swing_, I think but I pick up the pace even more, running to her.

I reach the steps where she's sitting and she looks up at me with puffy, red eyes and tear stained cheeks, her arms wrapped tight around her knees.

'Hey, Katniss, what's wrong?' I ask soothingly, sitting beside her and wrapping my arms around her.

'Gale' she sobs and lets go of her knees and wraps her tiny arms around me, sobbing into my chest. I rub her back and kiss her head.

'The kids aren't here,' I manage to hear through the sniffs and sobs that wrack her body.

I chuckle thinking how absurd she sounds, 'They were going to the park today, to play with friends, they probably won't be back until late, Catnip' she lets go of me, pulling back and shaking her head vigorously.

'N-no, it's a good thing,' she manages.

My brows draw together in confusion, 'Then why are you crying?'

Her bottom lip trembles and she manages one word before she explodes into sobs again, 'H-h-Hazelle'

I feel the colour drain from my face.

**AN: I've been meaning to put this in the last few chapters but I kept forgetting. So what do you think Gale knows? I'm sure you guys can guess what happened to Hazelle. Tell me what you thought of this chapter or if it was any good because I didn't like this one. Hopefully a quicker update next time if I don't have loads of assignments and work.**

**Please Review!**

**-J**


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